The Kansas City Chiefs laid an egg out of the bye week, losing to the reigning champs in Seattle, 20-3, on Sunday night. It was easily the worst Patrick Mahomes performance to date this season. He completed 19-of-33 passes for 150 yards, with an interception. The Chiefs' receiving leaders were tight ends Travis Kelce and Noah Gray, who tied with 44 yards each.

That speaks to Seattle's tremendous defense and perhaps some post-bye rust for the Chiefs. It also speaks to the dire state of Kansas City's wide receiver room with Rashee Rice out of commission. Mahomes is simply too talented to be so poorly supported. Kenneth Walker III has carried Kansas City through rough patches all season, but as Sunday's loss proved, even Walker can hit a wall. The Chiefs need to spruce up the pass-catching corps — and quickly. One logical trade partner: the Jacksonville Jaguars.

This Chiefs-Jaguars trade proposal gives Brian Thomas Jr. a fresh start in K.C.

Brian Thomas Jr.'s career arc is sincerely very odd. What happened here, exactly? There are schematic reasons, of course. Liam Coen clearly preferred other wideouts, as Trevor Lawrence learned to do the same. But there is also a personal element. Thomas made the Pro Bowl as a rookie, with 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns. He was the featured wideout for Jacksonville. Now in his third season, he has nine catches on 20 targets through six weeks for 105 yards. His current catch percentage (45.0) is more than 20 points worse than his rookie number (65.4 percent).

The talent is undeniable. Thomas has ample size, strength and speed for the position. He can generate explosive plays and operate as the lynchpin of an offense — we've seen it! Perhaps a change of scenery, with an all-time great quarterback and a historically great offensive mind like Andy Reid, can help turn the tides.

Brian Thomas Jr. immediately becomes WR1 in Kansas City

The Jags won't abandon Thomas for cheap, but he's approaching the end of his rookie contract and the production — and more importantly the involvement — just isn't there. Jacksonville is very much a contender and therefore faces zero pressure to offload a contributor. If Kansas City comes with a strong return package, however, it could be good business. A win-win trade, truthfully.

Thomas immediately soars up the depth chart in Kansas City. Rashee Rice, once he's back, has a more proven connection with Mahomes, of course, but his availability is so erratic. Thomas, if nothing else, has proven himself durable through 2.5 NFL seasons. He only recently turned 24 and, due to his diminished role in Jacksonville, he's not weighed down by excessive NFL mileage. Fresh legs, with a knack for separating at the line of scrimmage and getting behind the defense with a quickness, could mean Thomas is fast friends with Mahomes. It's hard to imagine a better situation for him to turn his career around.

Chiefs are loaded with draft picks to trade

Kansas City positioned itself for a big splash at the trade deadline with a few savvy moves in the offseason, which included acquiring a third-round pick from Los Angeles in exchange for Trent McDuffie. The Chiefs have two third-round picks and two fifth-round picks in a loaded draft. That frees them up to trade a couple Day 2 picks for an impact receiver without completely decimating their future.

Brett Veach has received ample criticism for his handling of Kansas City's unwieldy cap sheet in the past, but he was able to engineer a more competitive roster this summer without kneecapping the Chiefs' trade flexibility. Thomas would be a smart move not only for his talent, but because he's still on a cheap rookie deal for the next 1.5 years, with a potential fifth-year option if Kansas City does not want to commit to an extension.

Thomas is not without risk — he is, after all, an afterthought in a good Jacksonville offense — but the path to relevancy seems pretty clear, and the Chiefs are primed to put him back on such a path.