Patrick Mahomes is finally back on the field from injury, but now the Chiefs’ receiver room is raising doubts. Mahomes is officially cleared for full participation in 2026 NFL training camp, but he needs a reliable hand to take the team to the Super Bowl after last year’s 6-11 finish.

As per former Super Bowl -winning head coach Jon Gruden, the team urgently need a quality wide receiver who can give them 1000 yards to make full use of a fully fit Mahomes.

“They haven’t had a thousand-yard receiver since Tyreek Hill left in 2021,” Jon Gruden said on X. “I mean, look at this. 2022, leading receiver was Juju Smith-Schuster. 2023, Rashee Rice. 2024, Xavier Worthy. 2025, Hollywood Brown. He only had 587 yards. They haven’t had a thousand-yard receiver or a thousand-yard back in some time. And I think that crowd of skill players, we got to find somebody that can be great, man, and step up and make big plays.”

Tyreek Hill’s departure in 2021 marked the end of Kansas City’s run of consistent 1,000-yard receivers. Before Hill left, the Chiefs had at least one receiver over 1,000 yards in four straight seasons. Since then, nobody has hit the mark.

In 2022, JuJu Smith-Schuster came the closest as he was at 933 receiving yards. Then in 2023, rookie Rashee Rice finished with 938 receiving yards. He likely had a chance to reach 1,000 yards, but he did not play in the final regular-season game, so he finished just short.

At that time, Marquise (Hollywood) Brown and Rashee Rice looked like the Chiefs’ best chances to finally produce another 1,000-yard wide receiver. But they failed. The rest of the group did not produce as much. Justin Watson had 460 receiving yards, while Kadarius Toney, Skyy Moore, and Justyn Ross made only a small impact.

Around the league, elite QBs almost always pair with a 1,000-yard receiver, like the pairing of Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase for the Cincinnati Bengals. Mahomes’ numbers dipped without one 1000-yard receiver, showing the correlation. A 1,000-yard receiver matters because it forces defenses to open space for someone like Travis Kelce underneath, and gives Mahomes the kind of reliable playmaker that historically drives Super Bowl chances.

The Chiefs reshuffled their depth chart, releasing Marquez Valdes-Scantling and losing Mecole Hardman and Richie James in free agency. They now carry 13 wide receivers into camp, but only Rice and Worthy look like true top options.

Rashee Rice is still the Chiefs’ best returning wide receiver. He caught 53 passes for 571 yards and five touchdowns in just eight games last season. From Week 7 to Week 15, he ranked 8th in catches (45) and tied for 10th in touchdowns (5) league-wide. Injuries remain the concern: he’s played only 12 games over the past two years.

Worthy, meanwhile, fought through injuries to post 42 catches for 532 yards in 14 games. He has recovered from his torn shoulder and is ready for camp. If both stay healthy, Mahomes finally has a chance to end the drought.

Andy Reid on Patrick Mahomes’ return

Mahomes was cleared to practice seven months after suffering ACL and LCL injuries in December 2025.

He eased back in during minicamp, taking part in 7-on-7 drills but skipping 11-on-11 to avoid contact. Now, team doctors have cleared him for full participation.

Andy Reid said he is happy with Mahomes’ recovery, but the whole staff will keep an eye on him closely to ensure his fitness.

“Pat (Mahomes) is doing great with his, and right now he’s got clearance to practice and do all the different periods that we have in this camp,” Reid said. “And then we’ll just take it day by day and see how he does. He’ll have plenty of eyes on him, from coaches to trainers to doctors. But right now he’s been cleared to go ahead and participate fully.”

Because he’s cleared, Mahomes cannot be placed on the Active/PUP list. If he suffers a setback, the Chiefs would have to keep him on the 90-man roster or move him to injured reserve. For now, he’s ready to lead.

That is why the Chiefs need someone with a 1000-yard season to make this a great comeback for Mahomes and the team.