Who Will Step Up With Marquise Brown Out?

The Kansas City Chiefs relayed some unfortunate, but expected news last week when they officially announced that receiver Marquise "Hollywood" Brown would miss the team's Week 1 game against the Baltimore Ravens.

While the news may not come as a big surprise to some, as Brown has already missed multiple weeks with a shoulder injury, it is certainly still an impactful loss for a team looking to start their season strong.

Although Brown has never started a game for the Chiefs, his inclusion was expected to be important as the Kansas City offense struggled to produce at times in 2023, especially when it came to the receivers in quarterback Patrick Mahomes' offense.

Now, with Brown out, the Chiefs will have to look for production from other avenues. Of course, the team will have superstar tight end Travis Kelce to aid Mahomes throughout the night, as well as returning weapons Isiah Pacheco and Rashee Rice. However, when it comes to replicating Brown's speed, the offense's biggest X-factor may come in the form of rookie Xavier Worthy.

Worthy, a first-round pick out of the University of Texas, made national headlines at the NFL Scouting Combine in March when he ran a 4.21-second 40-yard dash, the fastest-recorded time in the event's history. While some were concerned with his size entering the league, Worthy could certainly be a game-changing piece for the Chiefs' offense if he is able to find a gap in the Ravens defense.

Related: Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes Reveals Connection with Coach Andy Reid

Fans can watch Worthy make his NFL debut when the Chiefs take on the Ravens to open the NFL season on Thursday.