Marquise "Hollywood" Brown's $7,000,000 Chiefs contract by numbers: Chiefs sign WR to incentive-laden deal

The Kansas City Chiefs spent most of the 2023 season struggling to get anything going with their wide receivers, and nothing seemed to work. Even with Patrick Mahomes under center, only Travis Kelce and Rashee Rice turned out to be trustworthy weapons for the offense.

Yes, they did win another championship, but there was not a chance in hell that they were going to be satisfied with that wide receiver group. That's why, in free agency, they went after Marquise "Hollywood" Brown to add speed to the group and at least give Mahomes somebody to go to in the most difficult moments.

The structure of the deal has now been made public, and it seems that not only has Kansas City improved the group, but they also did it cheaply. The contract is full of incentives, which means that the value will only go higher if he does produce.

Here's the full structure of the deal, according to Spotrac:

Touchdown Incentives (non-cumulative)
5: $500,000
6: $750,000
7: $1M
Playing Time Incentives (non-cumulative)
45% snaps: $500,000
52.5% snaps: $625,000
60% snaps: $750,000
75% snaps: $1.5M
Receiving Yard Incentives (non-cumulative)
500: $500,000
625: $625,000
750: $750,000
1,000: $1.5M
$6.5M guaranteed (signing bonus + 2024 salary)
Per Game Active Bonus: $14,705 ($250,000)

What does Marquise Brown give to the Chiefs?

The easy, correct answer is vertical speed. He has been known for his big play ability since he was a first-round pick by the Baltimore Ravens, and that continued during his time with the Arizona Cardinals, stressing opposing defenses vertically.

One important point is that he doesn't need to be making a ton of plays week after week. His speed will open a lot of underneath space for the other Chiefs receivers, especially Rashee Rice on crossing routes and Travis Kelce finding space in the middle of the field between the zones.

Yes, deep touchdown passes are fine and everybody loves it. But you have to think of this signing through the bigger picture: he's not only going to improve the group with his quality, but he's also going to be an important player for the entire Chiefs scheme.