The Kansas City Chiefs collapse in Denver and fall to 5-2. Kansas City was up 24-13 heading into the fourth quarter and lost 28-24. This game was reminiscent of last year’s team, where a Chiefs collapse was almost a weekly thing. There are many fingers to point at in a loss of this caliber, but these are three changes they can make this week to respond.
Trade For A Receiver. Right Now.
WR Rashee Rice returned from injury and caught seven passes for 53 yards and a touchdown. Rice is a reliable target when the ball is in his hands, but Kansas City learned there is no other receiver on the roster capable of big-time plays yet. Xavier Worthy caught three passes for 13 yards and was a non-factor the entire game. If the Chiefs want to compete for a Super Bowl this year, they can no longer trust Worthy. He has 24 receptions for 217 yards and a touchdown through 7 games this season, a disappointing showing for a former first-round pick.
Brian Thomas Jr. of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Josh Downs of the Indianapolis Colts are the two biggest candidates for Kansas City, barring a blockbuster Garrett Wilson trade. Including Worthy in a deal for one of these players may sound odd, considering the Chiefs need to add, but he is barely a contributor in an offense that specializes in getting contributors open. Would Kansas City rather have Downs or Thomas Jr. over Worthy? I’d say so.
Utilize Emmett Johnson Regularly
RB Kenneth Walker III had a slow game, but picked it up late with some big runs. He finished with 69 rushing yards off of 21 carries. Backup RB Emmett Johnson had one rush for 15 yards, but was far more effective in the passing game, catching five passes for 128 yards and a 73-yard touchdown. He also made a special teams tackle and an impressive kick return during the team’s final offensive possession. Johnson isn’t the runner that Kenneth Walker III is, but he could be one of the Chiefs’ most valuable receiving threats if he has more opportunities like he did Sunday.
Johnson was a fifth-round pick in the 2026 draft and looks to be an absolute steal. Using him more like the team used to use Jerick McKinnon in the passing game could make Kansas City’s offense look closer to who they want to be. Considering how thin the Chiefs are at receiver, using Johnson as a makeshift receiver could mask some of those flaws, even if they add a receiver via trade.
Bring In A Young Kicker, Not Justin Tucker
Harrison Butker missed another key field goal this game, making him 12 for 18 on the season and 2 of 6 from 50 or longer. There was hope that signing Justin Tucker would help break Butker out of his current slump, but he cost the team once again and contributed to Kansas City’s collapse. He was not the sole reason they lost, but his miss forced the Chiefs to need a touchdown to win in their final drive.
Signing Tucker was controversial, and it doesn’t look like it has helped Butker at all. Tucker went 22 of 30 in his last year with the Baltimore Ravens and sat out last year with a suspension. If Kansas City decides to bench Butker, Tucker is unlikely to be much of a fix, with him being five years older. Bringing in a young kicker may be scary, but it may be all the team can do at the moment to get Butker out of his slump. If he can’t get out of it, perhaps a young kicker could step in and be the guy for the Chiefs.
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End Of My Kansas Chiefs Collapse Rant
Kansas City had this game in the palm of their hands and blew it. It is arguably a more frustrating loss than last week’s blowout since the Chiefs had an 11-point lead in the final quarter. Still, there is reason to believe this team can compete as they have in previous years. It will all depend on whether GM Brett Veach trades for a receiver. Expect news in the coming days about who they may acquire. If Kansas City collapses like this again soon, it may be a bad sign for the future of this franchise.
