The Chiefs youth movement continued this offseason.
Kansas City was the sixth-youngest team in the 2023 playoffs with an average age of 26 years, eight months, and 30 days. The Chiefs got even younger at wide receiver this offseason after signing Marquise Brown (almost 27) and drafting Xavier Worthy (just turned 21). While older vets like Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Odell Beckham Jr. and others were available, the Chiefs opted to stay with the under-30 crowd.
The Chiefs also already had Rashee Rice (24), Kadarius Toney (25) and Skyy Moore (24 in September) on the roster. But if you just look at the team's top three wide receivers, the Chiefs rank as the fifth-youngest room in the NFL at 24.0 years old. The only other teams with a younger group at the Giants, Chargers, Colts and Cardinals.
The Titans are the only team in the league with a starting WR 𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒆 age of 30+.
— Easton Freeze (@eastonfreeze) May 7, 2024
They’re also the only team in the league 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕 a starter who is 25 or younger.
Their 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒔𝒕 starter will turn 30 this year.
Nobody else’s WR room is built like theirs. pic.twitter.com/LXNAKkWUYP
Now, the Chiefs may add a vet before the 2024 season to flesh out the unit — especially if Rice gets suspended for his multiple off-field incidents — to avoid having so many young guys. That room has one combined 1,000-yard season, which was Brown in 2021. And he eclipsed that mark by eight yards. Rice came close last season with 938 yards. Worthy is a rookie. None have more than 100 catches in a season.
One reason the Chiefs may continue to opt for young wideouts is because they don't need to with Patrick Mahomes still under 30 himself. Giving him guys to grow with could help build chemistry for the long haul. It helps, too, that they don't have to worry about adding a bigger receiver with tight end Travis Kelce on the roster. Jump balls, end zone fades and 50/50 balls are all things Kelce can do well. Meanwhile, the rest of the receiver room is between 5-foot-9 and 6-foot-1. There's nothing wrong with that, but having bigger receivers helps make yourself a target down the field.
The thing these receivers all have in common is their playmaking ability. Every one of them has a certain speed and shiftiness to them. That pairs very well with Mahomes' ability to get them the ball in the most ideal positions. Therefore, youth at this position is critical when that's the type of skillset you're looking for in a wideout. Not many older receivers can maintain the same level of athleticism. They have the IQ to know what to do, the run-away speed e can't be replicated. This offense could start to resemble the one Chiefs fans remember from years past when they could outscore any and everyone.