5 Best Wide Receivers in Kansas City Chiefs History

The Chiefs have a surprising lack of superstars at the top of their wide receiver chart.

by Eric W. Bolin

Jun 18, 2026

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Otis Taylor jumps over Miami Dolphins cornerback Tim Foley after catching a pass at Municipal Stadium during the 1971 AFC Divisional playoff game.

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As good as the Chiefs have been lately -- with five Super Bowl appearances between 2019 and 2024 -- the franchise has a spotted history of success.

That’s especially true when it comes to the passing game. Not that Kansas City’s list of top five greatest receivers in franchise history are poor. But consider that the team’s two greatest pass-catchers are tight ends and you’ll find the list of best wideouts won’t hold many record holders.

Still, there are some important names in Kansas City (and Dallas history) and a couple of team legends sit at the top.

5. Chris Burford (1960-1967)

Burford played just eight years, all in the AFL, with the Chiefs and the team they were before they moved to Kansas City, the Dallas Texans. From 1960 to 1967, he racked up 391 receptions for 5,505 yards and 55 touchdowns.

Those totals rank him third among wideouts in touchdowns, seventh in yards, and fifth in receptions. His best year came in 1962 when he helped the Texans to the AFL Championship crown, catching 45 balls for 645 yards and a league-high 12 touchdowns.

4. Stephone Paige (1983-1991)

Miami Dolphins defensive back Tim McKyer tackles Kansas City Chiefs receiver Stephone Paige during the 1990 AFC wild card game at Dolphin Stadium.

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The 1970s and '80s weren’t terribly kind to the Chiefs, who made just one playoff appearance from 1972 to 1989. They weren’t without talent, though, and Paige shined brightest in the latter part of that stint.

He ranks sixth in franchise history in yards receiving (6,341) and receptions (377) for a wide receiver. What puts him over his receiving mate in KC during a bulk of the '80s -- Carlos Carson -- are his 49 touchdowns. Only three wideouts in team history have more.

3. Dwayne Bowe (2007-2014)

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Dwayne Bowe carries the ball as Oakland Raiders cornerback D.J. Hayden tackles him.

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Bowe made the playoffs with the Chiefs just twice over his eight seasons in Kansas City. The Damon Huard/Tyler Thigpen/Matt Cassel quarterback era was largely a dark time for the franchise.

But the LSU product did what he could. Bowe registered three 1,000-yard seasons and earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2010 after catching 72 passes for 1,162 yards and 15 touchdowns. No wide receiver in franchise history has more than his 532 receptions.

2. Tyreek Hill (2016-2021)

Former Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill.

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Hill’s status as a six-time Pro Bowler in six seasons with the Chiefs is helped in part by his returning duties. But he has remained, when healthy, one of the better wideouts in the league even into the mid-2020s.

"The Cheetah's" time in Kansas City helped yield the Chiefs their first Super Bowl win since 1969. That 2019 postseason saw Hill catch 17 passes for 213 yards and two scores.

Overall, the Georgia native ranks second in franchise history in receptions (479) and touchdowns (56) and ranks third in yards receiving (6,630) among wide receivers.

1. Otis Taylor (1965-1975)

When Taylor established himself as the best wide receiver on the roster, the Chiefs started going places. It took him all of two years to make that happen, as Kansas City made the Super Bowl in 1966 behind Taylor’s 58 catches for 1,297 yards and eight scores.

That was his first Pro Bowl year and he’d get two more, plus helping the Chiefs win the Super Bowl in 1969. Over 11 seasons, all in Kansas City, he racked up 410 catches for 7,306 yards and 57 scores. No wideout in franchise history has more yards or scores.