Should the Chiefs make a play for A.J. Green?

The Chiefs have had the most potent offense in the NFL for a few years now, and never seem content when new players come up (just look at their most recent signing of Le’Veon Bell. With Sammy Watkins going down in the Raiders game, the depth at wide receiver seems to be thinning before our eyes. Could the mid-season addition of AJ Green alleviate these issues?

With Sammy Watkins out anywhere from 2-4 weeks with a hamstring injury, the Chiefs depth at wide receiver will be brought to the forefront in his absence. The offense seemed to struggle after Watkins came up lame in the game against the Raiders. Where the offense really seemed to feel the loss was in moving the sticks, without the big, physical target that Watkins provides on third down.

Although Sammy only finished the Patriots game with four catches, three of those four were for first down conversions. Do the Chiefs have enough depth at wide receiver to step up and fill the hole left by Sammy for the next few weeks?

Demarcus Robinson has the frame to step up into Sammy’s spot, but can he be trusted to be a reliable third-down target for this offense? Mecole Hardman is showing himself to be somewhat of a gadget player this year, capable of big strikes downfield but not so reliable in every down route running situations.

The fact of the matter is the Chiefs need a reliable receiver to fit in the WR2 spot of the offense, someone that can be trusted to run precise routes every down and with reliable enough hands to be a trusted third-down target, the way Sammy has been of late for this offense. Who better to trust this spot to than a veteran who has been his team’s only reliable receiver for the majority of his career in AJ Green?

Green realistically could provide a big, reliable target for Mahomes in the absence of Watkins, and very similar to other recent midseason additions like Le’Veon Bell. Green is on a one-year contract, meaning the Chiefs are only obligated to him through the end of this season, which helps with risk should he show that after 32 years he is officially over the hill.

Green is no stranger to trade rumors after he was rumored to be on the trade block last season. Cameras also caught Green last week in a moment of frustration saying to his assistant wide receivers coach “just trade me”, indicting he wants out of his current situation in Cincinnati.

With Watkins going down, the Chiefs are in a position of need to replace his production, and green has shown throughout his career to be a reliable pass catcher, as he led to Bengals in receiving for the past nine seasons straight. Consistency is something that Green knows all too well about. It makes sense Green wants out of Cincinnati, as he has not been targeted consistently by rookie QB Joe Burrow, who has been favoring fellow rookie WR Tee Higgins. 

The move makes sense for Cincinnati as well, who is in the middle of another “rebuilding” year, and will lose Green to the free-agent market after this season for nothing in return. They seem to have moved on from the AJ Green era, and if they want anything in return for the perennial pro-bowl receiver, they need to look to the trade market.

If the Chiefs could land Green for a late-round draft pick, this move makes all too much sense for the Chiefs. Imagine the hi-jinks Andy Reid and Eric Bienemy could get up to with Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Le’Veon Bell, AND AJ Green on the field at the same time?

Brett Veach has done an amazing job at providing Andy with weapons so that the Chiefs offense can remain as the most explosive in the NFL, and if he was able to pull off a trade for AJ Green, just imagine the possibilities that would be within reach. The Chiefs offense would be even more unstoppable with explosive talent at seemingly every position on the field, and I, for one, am here for it.