The Kansas Chiefs wide receivers were the butt of many jokes in 2023; with Tyreek Hill nowhere in sight and TE Travis Kelce having a rare down year, someone needed to step up. Rookie second-rounder Rashee Rice answered the bell as well as he could, but it wasn’t enough and QB Patrick Mahomes had his worst-ever statistical season.

Has it always been this bad for Chiefs wideouts? Most certainly not -- we’ll explore the 10 best Chiefs wide receivers in this Betway Insider top 10.

As usual, all stats and references are courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com and are updated through the end of the 2023 regular season.

Who are the Kansas City Chiefs starting Wide Receivers for the 2023 NFL season?

The Chiefs 2023 starting wide receivers include Rashee Rice, Justin Watson, and Marquez-Valdes Scantling.

Kansas City Chiefs Wide Receivers History

To fully understand some Chiefs wide receiver history, you have to go back to the AFL days. Otis Taylor was the Chiefs' first star wideout, dominating the AFL (and early NFL years) and helping Kansas City win Super Bowl IV.

Famous Kansas City Chiefs Wide Receivers

Other famous wide receivers for the Chiefs include stars from recent years like Tyreek Hill and Jeremy Maclin.

Ranking the Top 10 Greatest Kansas City Chiefs Wide Receivers of all time

  1. Jeremy Maclin, 2015-2016

Jeremy Maclin joined old friend Andy Reid in Kansas City ahead of the 2015 season -- the pair previously teamed up in Philadelphia from 2010-2012. Maclin gave the Chiefs' offense some needed bite coming off a down 2014 campaign, leading the team in receptions (87), receiving yards (1,018), and receiving touchdowns (8) in 2015 (mind you, this team also had TE Travis Kelce).

Maclin also helped spark an impressive turnaround, as the 2015 Chiefs started the campaign 1-5 before rallying for 10 straight wins to sneak into the playoffs. He didn’t reach the same heights in 2016 and was released following the season.

  1. Derrick Alexander, 1998-2001

Former Chiefs wide receiver Derrick Alexander signed with Kansas City ahead of the 1998 season and immediately slotted in as the team’s #1 wideout. He teamed up well with incumbent QB Elvis Grbac and averaged around 1,000 yards a campaign for his first three years in KC.

Alexander’s high-water mark came in 2000 when he went for 1,391 yards and 10 scores -- that receiving figure is the third-highest single-season figure by a Chief in franchise history. He somehow didn’t make the Pro Bowl that season, and his numbers sank across the board in 2001.

Alexander has the 11th most receiving yards in Chiefs history.

  1. Eddie Kennison, 2001-2007

Eddie Kennison was the team’s #1 receiver during the Chiefs’ super-charged offensive years under HC Dick Vermeil. Following the departure of Derrick Alexander, Kennison would go on to average nearly 1,000+ yards a season. While Alexander only maintained the average for three seasons, Kennison held it for five.

Kennison’s highest yardage tally came in 2005 when he went for 1,102. He ranks tenth in franchise history for receiving yards.

  1. Henry Marshall, 1976-1987

Henry Marshall was one of the longest-tenured Kansas City stars on this list. He spent his entire 12-year career at Arrowhead, sticking it out through some ugly years and only cracking the playoffs once.

Marshall was more consistent than great. He never topped 1000+ yards in a campaign, but he did have 10 seasons of 400+ yards and maxed out at 912 yards in 1984. His loyalty netted him the fifth-most receptions and sixth-most receiving yards in Chiefs history.

  1. Carlos Carson, 1980-1989

Carlos Carson was the defining Chiefs’ receiver of the 1980s. The 1980 fifth-round pick took a few seasons to establish himself as a clear-cut starter, but once he did, he never looked back. 

Carson exploded for 1,351 yards in 1983 -- his previous career-high was 494. This earned him his maiden Pro Bowl nod and he would earn another in 1987. In all, Carson had three 1,000+ yard seasons in Kansas City and checks in with the seventh-most receiving yards in franchise history. He also has the fifth-most receiving scores.

Disappointingly, Carson left the Chiefs midway through the 1989 season, having played in the playoffs just once. From 1990-1995, Kansas City made the postseason every year.

  1. Stephone Paige, 1983-1992

Oh look, it’s another 1980s Chiefs receiver! The third Kansas City wideout of the decade is Stephone Paige, who slots above his teammates Henry Marshall and Carlos Carson for his contributions in 1990.

Paige went undrafted ahead of the 1983 season but still carved out a role in the team. He bloomed into a TD threat by 1985, recording 10 scores that season and 11 the following. He became the team’s #1 wideout following Carson’s exit in 1989. Paige went for 1,021 yards and five scores in 1990 as the Chiefs went 11-5 and romped back to the playoffs.

In a narrow Wild Card loss to the Miami Dolphins, Paige went for 142 yards and a score. He suffered a knee injury in 1991 and was never the same. He did enough in his KC career to net the eighth-most receiving yards in franchise history.

  1. Chris Burford, 1960-1967

The first AFL star on this list is Chris Burford, a 2-time AFL Champion with the team. He was the first-ever #1 option for the franchise back in the Dallas Texans days, besting 750+ yards in each of the franchise’s two seasons.

Burford topped 575+ yards in each of his first seven seasons. Along the way, he led the AFL in touchdowns once (in 1962) and earned All-AFL honors (that same season, 1962).

Burford is one of three primary WRs (sorry Dante Hall, you’ll be on the all-time list) in the Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame. 

  1. Dwayne Bowe, 2007-2014

Former KC wideout Dwayne Bowe is now a nostalgic favorite -- a canonical representative of forgotten “early 2010s” stars of both the actual NFL and fantasy football. Let’s make sure we can preserve his reputation.

How good was Bowe? He topped 1,000+ receiving yards three times and had two other campaigns over 800+, including his rookie year. He earned his bones as a touchdown machine, highlighted by his league-leading figure of 15 in 2010 as the Chiefs surprisingly won the AFC West.

In the Chiefs’ narrow loss to the Colts in the 2013 Wild Card round, Bowe went for 150 yards and a touchdown. He’ll forever be a part of Kansas City history, recording the fourth-most receiving yards of any Chief.

  1. Otis Taylor, 1965-1975

Perhaps Otis Taylor is best remembered for his fight with Ben Davidson in 1970. Let’s rewrite the narrative: Taylor was an elite receiver who deserves more Pro Football Hall of Fame consideration.

Taylor was the team’s #1 option for the Super Bowl IV winning team. He was also a 2-time AFL Champion and the 1969 AFL Championship MVP. He earned 2 First-team All-Pro honors and twice eclipsed 1,100 receiving yards (not bad considering the season was 14 games).

Taylor’s 7,306 receiving yards are the third most in franchise history but the most by a Kansas City receiver.

  1. Tyreek Hill, 2016-2021

What makes current Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill the best Chiefs wide receiver of all time? His Kansas City resume speaks for itself (remember, he was only a starting WR in Kansas City for FIVE SEASONS):

  • 3-time First-team All-Pro (one as a returner), 1 Second-team All-Pro, 5-time Pro Bowler
  • Super Bowl LIV Champion
  • NFL 2010s All-Decade team
  • Most receiving yards and receiving touchdowns by a Chief in a single-season
  • Most yards/game in Chiefs history

Yes, maybe some current salty Chiefs fans will point out how Hill did play with QB Patrick Mahomes. You know what? So did dozens of other receivers and none of them are on this list.

Parameters of Rankings 

Rankings are made based on a combination of 1) individual accomplishments, 2) team success, 3) franchise legacy, and 4) personal accolades.

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