After missing most of the 2024 season with a sternoclavicular injury, Hollywood Brown has stepped in as one of Patrick Mahomes’ most dependable targets this year. His 2025 production shows it, and it’s now positioning him for a nice payday over the next few weeks, as long as Mahomes keeps feeding him.

This Sunday’s matchup against the Houston Texans could be a big one for him. If the Kansas City Chiefs‘ receiver picks up 41 receiving yards, he’ll unlock a $500K bonus built into his one-year deal, which he signed before the 2025 season. That contract came in at $7 million, per Spotrac, and can climb to $11 million, with a $3 million signing bonus and around $6.3–$6.5 million guaranteed.

Part of the structure includes a $1 million escalator if he hits both five touchdowns and 500 receiving yards. At one point, it surely looked possible, considering the Chiefs were facing the Dallas Cowboys in Week 13, who had given up 252.3 passing yards per game this year. But for the time being, Brown could only handle the touchdown part.

On Thanksgiving against the Cowboys, Mahomes hit him twice for 20 yards and a score (his fifth TD of the season), triggering the first $500K. He nearly cashed in the other half that afternoon, too, but finished with just 20 yards when he needed 61. Now he’s right back in range. If Mahomes helps him pick up 41 yards against Houston in Week 14, Brown pockets the remaining $500K and completes the full $1 million incentive.

So far, he’s played every game for Kansas City and has totaled 459 receiving yards and five touchdowns. One more solid outing could turn a strong comeback season into an even more profitable one. The only wrinkle, though? The Chiefs are coming after enduring yet another loss this season. With the Texans lining up next, it naturally raises a question: How will Kansas City beat Houston?

Andy Reid showed no signs of fear ahead of the Week 14 matchup

The Chiefs have backed themselves into a spot they didn’t want to be in. Things looked stable after the Week 12 win over the Indianapolis Colts that brought them back to .500. But the Week 13 loss to the Cowboys flipped the equation. Now they essentially have to run the table if they want a real shot at the playoffs. That push starts next week against the Texans. And Andy Reid isn’t exactly sounding nervous.

“I believe that – I believe if you’re coming to me on this, Matt (Derrick), I’m telling you we’re going to go after you every game,” the head coach said when asked about his thoughts on winning every game. “That’s how we roll. We’re going to try and tickle your tonsils on every play (and) every game. That’s the attitude that we’re coming in with, and you let the chips fall where they may,” Coach Reid said on Monday.”

And for now, you could justify betting on Kansas City here. They’re at Arrowhead, where they’ve won five of six this season, and they simply can’t afford another slip. The math is blunt: a loss to Houston drops them to 6–7, and in this year’s AFC race, that’s a tough hole to climb out of. So the question now is simple: Do they move to 7–6, or does another setback put their playoff hopes on life support? We’ll get our answer next weekend.