NFL Rumors: Deebo Samuel, A.J. Brown, Metcalf, McLaurin Trades Unlikely for Chiefs
April 21, 2022
After trading a Pro Bowl wide receiver earlier this offseason, the Kansas City Chiefs are reportedly unlikely to be in the market to acquire another one despite speculation they could have interest in Deebo Samuel.
Per NFL.com's Jeffri Chadiha, it's "probably" a long shot at this point that the Chiefs would acquire Samuel or one of the other receivers currently seeking a new contract (DK Metcalf, A.J. Brown and Terry McLaurin).
ESPN's Jeff Darlington reported on Wednesday that Samuel has asked the San Francisco 49ers to trade him.
Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Samuel made his request more than one week ago because he has "some questions and some frustrations" about how the 49ers used him in the offense last season.
Rapoport cited the Chiefs, Green Bay Packers, New York Jets and Detroit Lions as potential suitors for Samuel.
The logic of Kansas City trading for one of these wide receivers—presumably seeking a lucrative contract extension—doesn't seem to track.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid told reporters last month they traded Tyreek Hill in part because of what he wanted in a new contract.
"We came in aggressive [with a contract offer], and after we got to a point, we just said, 'Listen, in this day and age, you have issues you have to deal with with the cap.' So we felt like it was better to allow him to go ahead and be traded. ... You can go different routes with a player. You can play hardball or you can go about it the way I did, or we did," he said.
Hill was traded to the Miami Dolphins for five draft picks, including the No. 29 choice in the 2022 draft. He signed a four-year, $120 million deal with the Dolphins after the trade.
It's unclear what kind of deals Samuel, Brown, Metcalf and McLaurin are seeking, but it's probably safe to assume they want compensation in the range of what Hill, Davante Adams and Stefon Diggs have received this offseason.
Adams' $140 million deal with the Las Vegas Raiders is the richest in total value for a wide receiver in NFL history. Hill is currently the only wide receiver in the league with an average annual salary of $30 million.
Diggs received a four-year, $104 million extension with $70 million guaranteed from the Buffalo Bills earlier this month.
Those deals account for three of the four richest wide receiver contracts by average annual salary in the NFL. DeAndre Hopkins' $27.25 million average salary with the Arizona Cardinals ranks third on that list.
The Chiefs already have $186.6 million in salary commitments to just 22 players in 2023. Adding a receiver who will presumably be making at least $25 million per season on an extension could make it difficult to fill out the rest of their roster.