Chiefs need more from rookie WR following Marquise Brown's injury

The Kansas City Chiefs have confidence in rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy after trading three picks to the Buffalo Bills to take him with pick No. 28 of the 2024 NFL Draft. Now, he must reward them.

In the Chiefs' preseason opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday, K.C. WR Marquise "Hollywood" Brown dislocated the sternoclavicular joint in his left shoulder.

On Monday, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid told the media Brown avoided surgery but didn't indicate whether he'll play against the Baltimore Ravens in the regular-season opener on Sept. 5. He added former Chiefs pass-catcher Tyreek Hill suffered a similar injury in Week 1 of the 2019 season, only missing four games.

Worthy may assume some of Brown's workload if the injury sidelines him. Like Brown, he's a speedy wideout who can stretch the field. At the NFL Scouting Combine in February, the 21-year-old broke the 40-yard-dash record (4.21).

Per Forbes contributor Jeff Fedotin, Worthy played five snaps against Jacksonville as the starting offense suited up for one drive. However, The Athletic's Dianna Russini reported that he's quickly learning the offense and gaining quarterback Patrick Mahomes' trust in training camp.

"Obviously he's fast, but it's almost like he runs fast and he can run with pace fast, and so he's able to track the ball really well," Mahomes said of Worthy in a recent news conference. "I mean, if he can get through this camp, he'll be able to get through a lot of stuff, so I'm excited for him and how he's kind of progressed throughout camp."

The Chiefs have relied on a deep passing attack in the past, but it seemed to disappear last season. Per Pro Football Reference, Kansas City ranked second to last in the league in average target depth (6.2 yards).

The Chiefs need Worthy to deliver to reignite their explosive offense, especially if Brown misses some time at the start of the regular season.