Jeremy Maclin’s Chiefs contract to average $11 million per season

The Chiefs have landed the deep threat and dynamic receiver they so desperately needed, and they were willing to pay for it, too.

A source told The Star on Monday morning that former Missouri Tigers star and Philadelphia Eagles receiver Jeremy Maclin will sign a contract with the Chiefs that averages $11 million per season over five years.

With the move, Maclin, 26, gets to reunite with Chiefs coach Andy Reid, who selected him in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft when he was in charge of the Eagles.

Maclin is coming off a monster season in which he bounced back from a torn right ACL in 2013 to catch 85 passes for 1,318 yards and 10 touchdowns in 16 games. Most importantly, Maclin showed no traces of the knee injury, as he still flashed his trademark speed, burst and ability to track the deep ball.

Maclin is considered the No. 2 receiver on the market, behind Green Bay’s Randall Cobb, who is expected to re-sign with Green Bay on a four-year, $40 million deal when the free-agency period officially begins at 3 p.m. Tuesday.

Nothing can officially be signed until Tuesday, but the Chiefs will need to create cap space by then to accommodate Maclin’s salary. They are already approximately $1.1 million over the cap — not counting Josh Mauga’s recent extension, the terms of which have not been released.

This story was originally published March 9, 2015 at 9:53 AM with the headline "Jeremy Maclin’s Chiefs contract to average $11 million per season."