Tag: wide receiver

Chiefs WR Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown made a positive impact in his season debut

Kansas City #Chiefs wide receiver Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown made a positive impact in his season debut | @EdEastonJr

The Kansas City Chiefs finally activated veteran wide receiver Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown for action this season during Saturday’s matchup with the Houston Texans. After an extensive recovery process from a preseason shoulder injury, Brown impressed his coaches and teammates with his efficient performance.

“He (Hollywood Brown) had the big fourth down one (play),” said head coach Andy Reid during his postgame press conference. “The great thing about all those guys (the receivers) is that they all want to play (but) we just have one ball. I try to explain that to them and they all want to go make the play – and he’s like that. He loves playing, and he knew he was doing well in there and just wanted more – he was feeling well, I should’ve said, not doing well, but feeling well.”

Brown finished the victory over Houston with five catches for 45 yards, an average of nine yards per reception. The synergy he built with Patrick Mahomes in the offseason was displayed as the reigning Super Bowl MVP told reporters on Saturday.

“I thought he (Hollywood Brown) did a great job. I missed him here and there on a couple (of) throws, but I thought he was getting open; he was winning against man coverage, which is huge,” said Mahomes. “He’s a couple throws away from having a really, really big game – just getting him in there and getting the football in his hands and getting where he can feel confident and running through tackles and stuff like that. I thought he did a great job of that, and we’ll get him involved more and more as the season goes on.”

Playing alongside Xavier Worthy and DeAndre Hopkins, Brown will ideally create matchup problems for the defense. Mahomes is playing with a high ankle sprain but was still able to find multiple receivers open due to an extra playmaker’s presence.

Jerry Jeudy had a funny reaction to reason why Broncos-Jets trade was nixed

Jets owner Woody Johnson nixed a Jerry Jeudy trade to New York because of the WR’s Madden rating. This is how Jeudy responded to the report.

Earlier this week, Dianna Russini, Zack Rosenblatt and Michael Silver released a wild report in The Athletic about New York Jets owner Woody Johnson nixing a trade with the Denver Broncos earlier this year.

In the story, Jets general manager Joe Douglas was said to be “deep in negotiations” with Broncos general manager George Paton on a trade that would have sent wide receiver Jerry Jeudy to New York this spring.

Here’s what happened next, according to The Athletic:

The Broncos felt a deal was near. Then, abruptly, it all fell apart. In Denver’s executive offices, they couldn’t believe the reason why.

Douglas told the Broncos that Johnson didn’t want to make the trade because the owner felt Jeudy’s player rating in “Madden NFL,” the popular video game, wasn’t high enough, according to multiple league sources. The Broncos ultimately traded the receiver to the Cleveland Browns.

Jeudy had a Madden rating of 83 overall in last year’s version of the popular NFL video game. His rating improved to 84 this year.

Jeudy took to Twitter/X with a funny response to the report:

Chad “OchoCinco” Johnson is a Madden ratings adjuster (yes, that’s an actual position). The former NFL receiver indicated that the deal getting nixed worked out for Jeudy in the end:

Johnson promised a big ratings increase next year if Jeudy finishes the season strong:

Jeudy later said on a Cleveland radio station that he thinks the report is funny, but fake news.

For what it’s worth, the Broncos have pushed back on The Athletic report through KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis, who tweeted on Thursday that “from the Broncos perspective, talks broke down due to draft compensation and nothing more.”

Jeudy, 25, has hauled in a career-high 70 receptions for a career-best 1,052 receiving yards and four touchdowns through 14 games with the Browns this season.

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Gimme Him: One player the Chiefs would steal from the Texans

Which Houston #Texans player would we pick to add to the Kansas City #Chiefs’ roster for the rest of the regular season?

This Saturday, December 21, the Kansas City Chiefs (13-1) are scheduled to host the Houston Texans (9-5) at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

This matchup could prove to be challenging for the Chiefs. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes is playing through an ankle strain and the Texans defense excels at applying pressure to their opponents.

Chiefs Wire is conducting a game of hypotheticals this week called “Gimme Him.”

If Kansas City could trade for any player on Houston’s roster this week with nothing in return, which Texan would have the greatest impact within the Chiefs lineup?

Wide receiver Nico Collins has stood out, proving himself to be a great asset to Houston’s air attack by making six touchdowns and totaling 849 yards on 53 catches. He has impressive control of the ball, having no fumbles in 2024.

Kansas City already has a solid receiving corps; however, in this campaign, explosive plays have been more limited. The Chiefs’ leading receiver is tight end Travis Kelce, who has logged 709 yards on 84 catches and only scored two touchdowns.

Kansas City will have to focus on containing Collins in Saturday’s matchup, a loss in Week 16 could cost the Chiefs the number one seed in the AFC.

Broncos WR Troy Franklin was in a walking boot after ‘TNF’ loss

Broncos WR Troy Franklin was spotted wearing a walking boot after a ‘Thursday Night Football’ loss to the Chargers.

Following the Denver Broncos‘ 34-27 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday Night Football, rookie wide receiver Troy Franklin was spotted wearing a walking boot on his left foot, according to a report from the Denver Post‘s Ryan McFadden.

Franklin was not given an injury designation during the game and the Broncos will not practice again until next week, so it might be several days until we get an update on Franklin’s status.

The 21-year-old receiver hauled in two receptions for 25 yards on three targets against the Chargers. Franklin now has 25 catches for 252 yards and two touchdowns through his first 14 games in the NFL.

Denver released veteran wide receiver Josh Reynolds earlier this month, so if Franklin misses any time, the team’s remaining WRs would be Courtland Sutton, Devaughn Vele, Lil’Jordan Humphrey and Marvin Mims. The Broncos also have Michael Bandy, David Sills and A.T. Perry available on the practice squad.

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BREAKING: Wisconsin beats USC for commitment from top FCS transfer wide receiver

Wisconsin lands a commitment from a promising transfer receiver

Wisconsin landed a commitment from Idaho transfer wide receiver Mark Hamper on Friday.

The top Football Championship Subdivision transfer chose the Badgers over top programs including Big Ten rival USC. He is the program’s 13th transfer commitment of the cycle and the second wide receiver, joining Ohio State transfer Jayden Ballard.

Related: Tracking Wisconsin football’s transfer portal offers, interests and commitments

Hamper commits to the Badgers after a breakout redshirt freshman season at Idaho. He totaled 48 receptions, 966 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns during the campaign — including three catches for 57 yards in the Vandals’ narrow Week 1 loss to Oregon. He joins the program with three years of eligibility remaining.

The 6’2″ wide receiver shouldn’t have much trouble seeing the field with the Badgers. The team has snaps available at the position after the recent transfer departures of starters Will Pauling and C.J. Williams. Both he and Ballard should lead the boundary receiver position across from returning starter Vinny Anthony.

https://twitter.com/mark_hamper/status/1870113926312317131

Wisconsin continues to utilize the transfer portal to bolster its offensive personnel entering a pivotal 2025 campaign. Additions at quarterback, tight end and wide receiver will aid new coordinator Jeff Grimes as he returns the program to its classic pro-style approach, departing from Phil Longo’s air raid scheme.

The Badgers’ new-look offensive depth chart appears well-equipped to make that transition.

Luke Fickell and his staff will likely direct primary focus to the defensive side of the football with major remaining needs at cornerback and linebacker. For more on those pursuits, bookmark our transfer offer, visit and commitment tracker.

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Chiefs WR DeAndre Hopkins comments on the NFL schedule: ‘I don’t feel this is the best situation’

Kansas City #Chiefs WR DeAndre Hopkins comments on the NFL schedule: ‘I don’t feel this is the best situation’ | @EdEastonJr

The Kansas City Chiefs have an unusual schedule, playing three games in a short time frame. Veteran wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins has played in many challenging seasons but has never experienced a schedule like this, as he told reporters during Thursday’s press conference.

“I’ve never played this many games in a short amount of time; I think the league should definitely do something about that,” said Hopkins. “As they preach player safety, I don’t feel this is the best situation for any team. I think the league should review that after the season, just to see how they can help player safety in the future.”

The Chiefs are playing three games in ten days to accommodate their Christmas Day matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers next Wednesday. If Kansas City can win the next two games, they will clinch the top overall seed regardless of what the Buffalo Bills do the rest of the season.

Hopkins will be getting some help in the wide receiver room with the expected debut of Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown, who hasn’t played this season due to injury.

Oklahoma Sooners add SEC wideout via transfer portal

OU’s third transfer portal commit from the portal comes from a fellow SEC school.

The Oklahoma Sooners are continuing to rebuild their wide receiver room through the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag]. After the 2024 season saw the top five wideouts miss all or the vast majority of the season due to injuries, and three of those five players decided not to come back, [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] and his coaching staff have been hard at work building back the wide receiver depth chart in stronger, healthier fashion.

Oklahoma has now added former Arkansas Razorbacks wideout Isaiah Sategna in the transfer portal, marking the third WR that will be transferring to Norman.

Javonnie Gibson (Arkansas Pine-Bluff) and Keontez Lewis (Southern Illinois) will have some work to do when it comes to playing in the SEC, but Sategna will be right at home in college football’s toughest conference. That trio will join returners [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag] and Jayden Gibson to try and help the wide receiver room rebound.

Sategna is a smaller receiver at 5’11 and 185 pounds, but he managed to haul in 37 receptions for 491 yards this season. He also had a punt return touchdown for the Hogs.

There’s still plenty of work to be done when it comes to remaking OU’s wide receiver depth chart, but three additions in a few days is a good start.

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Former Wisconsin wide receiver transfers to a top SEC program

Big-time commitment for a former Wisconsin wide receiver

Former Wisconsin wide receiver Keontez Lewis committed to Oklahoma on Wednesday.

The former Badger spent the 2024 season at Southern Illinois. He joins the Sooners with one year of eligibility remaining.

Related: Wisconsin football 2024 transfer portal departure tracker

Lewis transferred to the Badgers in 2022 after his freshman season at UCLA. He flashed significant playmaking ability as one of the team’s primary outside wide receivers that season, catching 20 passes for 313 yards and three touchdowns. His best game was a three-catch, 71-yard, one-touchdown outing against rival Iowa.

Lewis then fell down the depth chart entering the 2023 season after the arrival of Phil Longo and a host of transfer receivers. He played in just one game that season, catching one pass for 12 yards. The 6’2″ wideout reentered the portal after the team’s Week 2 loss to Washington State.

The tide turned for Lewis in his one year at Southern Illinois. He led the Salukis with 49 catches, 790 receiving yards and five touchdowns, plus aded 10 carries, 121 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown.

His best outing was a nine-touch (eight receptions, one carry), 205-yard (148 receiving, 57 rushing), two-touchdown breakout in a narrow win over Incarnate Word. He nearly broke single-game records with the performance.

Lewis entered the portal for a third time after the season concluded. He is now en route to Norman, Oklahoma to help a program that went just 6-6 in its first year in the SEC. Despite the down year, the Sooners remain one of the sport’s blue blood programs. This commitment is a significant step forward for Lewis after one year at the Football Championship Subdivision level.

Wisconsin, meanwhile, recently landed Ohio State transfer Jayden Ballard to bolster its wide receiving corps. The team lost Bryson Green (eligibility), C.J. Williams (portal) and Will Pauling (portal) after the 2024 season. The position remains one to watch as the Badgers continue their transfer recruiting.

Lewis is one of several former Badger receivers to watch at new destinations in 2025, especially as the program rebuilds at the position. For more on others, bookmark our transfer departure tracker.

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Oklahoma Sooners add another transfer portal wide receiver

Oklahoma Sooners add Keontez Lewis from Southern Illinois via the transfer portal.

The Oklahoma Sooners are looking to reload on the offensive side of the ball after a 2024 season that produced their worst offense in the last 25 seasons. Oklahoma found their quarterback in John Mateer and found some help for their wide receiver room with a commitment from Javonnie Gibson.

But that wasn’t all the Sooners did in the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] on Wednesday, as they also earned a commitment from transfer portal wide receiver Keontez Lewis. Lewis was a former three-star prospect who originally signed with UCLA in the 2021 recruiting class. He then spent a couple of seasons on Wisconsin’s roster before playing 2024 with Southern Illinois.

Lewis led the Salukis with 49 receptions for 813 yards and five touchdowns in 2024. Against BYU, he recorded two catches for 49 yards. At Wisconsin in 2022, Gibson played in 13 games and had 20 receptions for 313 yards and three touchdowns.

After Wisconsin hired Luke Fickell away from Cincinnati, Lewis fell down the depth chart and played in just one game in 2023 before entering the transfer portal in September of that season.

Like Gibson, Lewis brings good size to the Sooners wide receiver room, standing 6-foot-2 and weighing 190 pounds.

Lewis joins a wide receiver group that includes a returning Deion Burks and Jayden Gibson and a group of talented former four-star prospects Zion Kearney, Zion Ragins, and Ivan Carreon, walk-on standout Jacob Jordan, as well as true freshmen Elijah Thomas and Emmanuel Choice.

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BREAKING: Wisconsin lands commitment from Ohio State transfer wide receiver

Wisconsin lands an experienced transfer wide receiver

Wisconsin landed a commitment from former Ohio State wide receiver Jayden Ballard on Wednesday.

Ballard is Wisconsin’s first transfer wide receiver addition of the cycle and its 10th transfer commitment. He joins the program with one year of eligibility remaining.

Related: Tracking Wisconsin football’s transfer portal offers, interests and commitments

Ballard entered the portal after four years with the Buckeyes. He joined the program in 2021 as one of the top recruits in the country (No. 55 overall in the class of 2021).

The Ohio native never fully delivered on his top recruiting profile amid a loaded wide receiver room in Columbus. He played in 35 combined games over four seasons, totaling 11 catches, 177 receiving yards and one touchdown. His 2022 campaign accounted for much of that production: eight catches, 155 yards and a touchdown.

Ballard joins a Wisconsin wide receiver room that recently lost both Will Pauling and C.J. Williams to the transfer portal. Redshirt sophomore Trech Kekahuna (slot) and senior Vinny Anthony each figure to start, leaving a major opportunity at the second boundary position. Ballard joins a mix of contenders for that starting spot that also includes redshirt juniors Joseph Griffin Jr. and Quincy Burroughs.

Overall, the wide receiver group figures to play a prominent role as new offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes installs his scheme, shifting the program away from its air raid approach.

Wisconsin had a top-10 transfer class before Ballard’s commitment. His addition should propel the group further up the rankings.

Bookmark our transfer visit and commitment tracker as Luke Fickell and his staff continue to make significant moves to bolster the roster.

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