6 Fascinating Facts About Chiefs WR Jason Brownlee

Good may not be enough to make the Chiefs’ final roster, however. Brownlee has a great opportunity in the first of three preseason games Saturday at Arizona (7 p.m. CT, KSHB 41/96.5 The Fan). Here are six lesser-known facts about the Chiefs’ wide receiver.

1) Brett Veach’s proactive pro staff brought Brownlee to Kansas City.

• The Jets were busy with head coach and general manager interviews when they quietly released Brownlee from their practice squad on Jan. 13. Kansas City pounced on the wide receiver, signing him to a practice-squad contract three days before they beat the Texans in the divisional round of the playoffs. Brownlee played the scout-team role of Nico Collins, Keon Coleman, and A.J. Brown as the Chiefs progressed to the Super Bowl. With an inside track, and since they liked what they saw in that brief sample size, the Chiefs were able to keep Brownlee away from other teams and sign him to a reserve/future contract days after the loss to the Eagles.

2) Brownlee starred on Hard Knocks during the 2023 preseason.

• Undrafted out of Southern Miss, Brownlee still saw plenty of cameras and microphones during his rookie training camp with the Jets. Hard Knocks followed his journey all the way through his gut-wrenching walk to meet Robert Saleh and Joe Douglas, who told him he’d made the final, 53-man roster.

3) At this time last year, Brownlee experienced highest highs, lowest lows.

• A year ago, Brownlee endured a brutal 24-hour roller coaster. After playing seven games in his rookie season, he was informed that he had made the final 53-man roster for the 2024 season. A day later, the Jets waived him after claiming an obscure tight end named Brenden Bates. Re-signed to the practice squad after clearing waivers, Brownlee spent the season in that capacity until the Chiefs added him in January.

4) Brownlee began his college career at Last Chance U.

• While he didn’t appear in the Netflix production, Brownlee did play his first two college seasons at East Mississippi Community College. The reality series Last Chance U followed the EMCC football program from 2015-16. Brownlee played there in both 2018 and 2019, including a sophomore All-America season when he led the country in receiving. After transferring to Southern Miss, the school that produced Brett Favre, Brownlee led the team in receiving each season from 2020-22.

5) Brownlee begins his NFL career with Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes.

• Even though he made the final roster as an undrafted rookie in 2023, he never got to catch a regular-season pass from Aaron Rodgers. The quarterback ruptured his Achilles’ tendon four plays into the season. Brownlee was inactive for that fateful game, but eventually played in seven games and started five, finishing with 56 yards on five receptions. He caught an 8-yard touchdown from Trevor Siemian in a 30-28 win over Washington.

6) Brownlee was a Travis Hunter-like star in high school.

• At West Point (Miss.) High School, Brownlee as a senior racked up 967 yards and 11 touchdowns on 42 receptions (23.0 avg.) while adding four interceptions as a cornerback.

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