Marquise Brown contract details: 'Hollywood' goes to Kansas City, giving Patrick Mahomes a new No. 1 WR

The free agent wide receiver market thinned when Mike Evans re-signed with the Buccaneers and Michael Pittman Jr. was franchise-tagged by the Colts, but Marquise "Hollywood" Brown represented an intriguing option on the open market.

He now has a new home in Kansas City.

Brown has agreed to a deal with the Chiefs on Thursday night after spending the past two seasons in Arizona, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The Cardinals landed Brown in a draft day trade in 2022 after the former first-round pick posted a career-high 1,008 yards in his third and final season with the Ravens. The production hasn't been quite the same during his time in Arizona, but Brown did deal with an unstable quarterback situation in 2023 and missed eight games due to injury over the past two years.

Now, he will become one of superstar QB Patrick Mahomes' top receiving options in 2024.

Here are the details on Brown's deal with the Chiefs. 

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Marquise Brown contract details

Brown agreed to a one-year, $11 million contract with the Chiefs on Thursday.

The 26-year-old finished 2023 with a career-low 574 yards, an ill-timed down season with his rookie contract expiring, but Brown benefited from the thin free agent crop of receivers and the reality of the poor situation he was in with the Cardinals.

Brown averaged 11.3 yards per reception, his highest mark since 2020, and he proved to be a useful weapon when paired with better quarterbacks. Arizona didn't have QB Kyler Murray until Week 10 in 2023.

Now, he will play alongside the NFL's best quarterback in Mahomes.

Brown will instantly become one of Kansas City's best receivers. Even coming off of their second Super Bowl title in as many years, the Chiefs have struggled to find consistency at wide receiver. Mahomes is known for his ability to elevate every player around him, but Brown gives star QB a big-play weapon on the outside that he hasn't had since Tyreek Hill left.

Several receiver-needy teams are undoubtedly banking on the loaded wide receivers in this year's draft.

The Chiefs, instead, add a major weapon in free agency by signing Brown as they look to become the first team in NFL history to three-peat.

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Marquise Brown stats

Brown posted a career-low 574 yards in 2023, with easily the worst catch-rate of his career as the Cardinals' offense struggled to find momentum until Kyler Murray settled in late in the year.

The Oklahoma product improved year-by-year in Baltimore, topping out at 1,008 yards in 2021 and scoring at least six touchdowns in all three of his seasons catching passes from Lamar Jackson. 

Marquise Brown fantasy outlook 2024

It's tempting to think Brown will have a huge season playing with the best QB in the NFL, but fantasy owners also thought that about JuJu Smith-Schuster in 2022 when he caught 78 passes for 933 yards and three TDs. Brown is probably better than Smith-Schuster, but make no mistake, he's not Tyreek Hill. If you average out Hill's last season in KC with JuJu's lone season there, you get 94.5 catches, 1,086 yards, and six TDs. The catches are probably a little high, but the yards and TDs actually sound about right for Hollywood, who set career highs with 91 catches and 1,008 yards with Baltimore in 2021 and eight TDs with Baltimore in '20. 

Brown had stretches where he looks like a premier deep threat and a dominant possession receiver. His explosiveness is a missing element in Kansas City's offense, but we know Travis Kelce is the true No. 1 receiver. Rashee Rice established himself as a go-to guy for Mahomes, too, and that doesn't figure to change. There are only so many targets left over for Brown, likely relegating him to high-end WR3 status in fantasy. Chances are, he'll be drafted like a WR2, though, so be careful not to overpay. — Matt Lutovsky