Chiefs suffer consequences of tempting fate on the opening offensive play of the preseason

Kansas City Chiefs HC Andy Reid insists on his starters getting action during the preseason , but it appears to have come at a cost in Week 1 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

On the opening play on the offensive side of the ball, Patrick Mahomes targeted new Chiefs WR Hollywood Brown, who caught the pass for an 11-yard gain. He was driven into the ground on the play and came up favoring one of his shoulders, immediately pulling himself out of the game.

It didn't even take the first series for the Chiefs to rule Brown questionable to return with a shoulder injury. Being that it's a preseason game, Brown is highly unlikely to return to the game.

The 5-foot-9 and 190-pound receiver signed a one-year deal with the Chiefs during the 2024 NFL free agency period . The 26-year-old is a former first-round pick by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the 2019 NFL draft out of the University of Oklahoma. He was traded to Arizona on the first day of the 2022 NFL draft after expressing displeasure with the run-first offensive system in Baltimore. Kansas City was supposed to be a renaissance for the speedy wide receiver, but that might be on hold after suffering this injury against the Jaguars.

It remains to be seen just how serious the injury is, but Chiefs HC Andy Reid will certainly face some criticism for playing the starters if Brown is slated to miss time. Reid has always maintained that you need to play in order to get better and that these preseason reps make a tangible difference for his players. At the same time, balancing the risk of injury with getting better is tricky, and it's a tough pill to swallow should you lose a player for any period.

Related: Latest update on the Chiefs' injury situation heading into preseason Week 1 vs. Jaguars