One of the most important points from wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown‘s first press conference with the Kansas City Chiefs was that he might have accepted less money to join the two-time Super Bowl champions.
During his press conference on March 18, Brown was asked if the Chiefs offered him the most money among the teams interested in his services this offseason.
Brown replied, with a smile, “There were other opportunities for sure. I’m happy with the decision, I’m happy with where I’m at. At the end of the day I’m a kid that comes from nothing, so the amount of money I’ve made so far in my life is a blessing to me. God continues to bless me.”
Brown’s deal with Kansas City is for one year and is worth up to $11 million. So, he’s essentially playing on a prove-it deal with the Chiefs in hopes of re-establishing his value in 2025 when he becomes a free agent again.
In some cases, like the Chiefs reaching out to the Pittsburgh Steelers about a to trade for receiver Diontae Johnson, being the champion makes it more difficult to acquire talent.
In other cases, like the Chiefs offering less money than other teams for Brown’s services, being a champion means certain players will take less money in hopes of competing for a championship.
It’s a double-edged sword that this time around benefitted Kansas City as it begins its quest for a three-peat.
“When the Chiefs are interested in you, you’ve got to take a look at them,” Brown said. “Of course, I can go get some money at other places but at the end of the day, it’s about winning. It’s about what I want, and I feel like everything just worked out the way it should.”
Hollywood Brown Explains His Contribution to KC’s Offense
During his first press conference, Brown explained what he can offer to Kansas City’s offense.
“I feel like I can impact all three levels of the game — short, intermediate, and deep. I feel like [at] times in Baltimore and in Arizona I showed parts of things that I could do but not consistently. So I feel here guys are interchangeable. We can complement each other and that way the best can come out of everyone.”
Brown also talked about his feelings toward being able to catch passes from quarterback Patrick Mahomes now.
“You want to play with somebody that’s going to bring the best out of you, that’s going to push your game to the next level, and I feel like he’s definitely one of those type of guys,” Brown said.
“The arm talent, the deep arm talent, it speaks for itself. What can’t he do? He can extend plays, whatever he’s got to do to win the game. I feel like I watched him do it from making those big plays to methodically moving down the field to using his feet to playing injured. Those are qualities and traits of a guy you want to play for.”
Brown to Use College Number With Chiefs
Brown announced via a social media post that he will be wearing the No. 5 jersey, which is the same number he wore at Oklahoma and during his final season with the Baltimore Ravens.
During his first two seasons in the NFL, Brown wore the No. 15 jersey, and during his two seasons with the Arizona Cardinals he wore the No. 2 jersey.
Brown joins a receiver room in Kansas City that consists of Rashee Rice, Kadarius Toney, Skyy Moore, Justin Watson, Montrell Washington, Cornell Powell, Justyn Ross, Shi Smith, Anthony Miller, and Jacob Copeland.
