Worthy's Injury Hits Hard for Chiefs in Season Opener

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy has been ruled out for the remainder of Friday's season opener against the Los Angeles Chargers due to a shoulder injury, the team announced. This injury occurred during the opening drive of the game taking place in São Paulo, Brazil, after Worthy collided with Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.

The collision happened on a crucial third-and-6 situation that resulted in an incomplete pass from quarterback Patrick Mahomes to Worthy, forcing the Chiefs to punt and end the drive early.

Impact on the Team

With both Worthy and rookie wideout Jalen Royals sidelined due to injuries, the Chiefs will rely heavily on Marquise "Hollywood" Brown, who is expected to see an increase in target share for the rest of the game. Additional targets might go to JuJu Smith-Schuster and Tyquan Thornton as they step up in the absence of the injured players.

Royals is dealing with knee tendinitis and did not make the trip to Brazil after being ruled out on Wednesday. Worthy, who was drafted in the first round of the 2024 draft, had a strong previous season, ranking second on the team with 638 receiving yards on 59 catches.

In light of DeAndre Hopkins joining the Baltimore Ravens and Rashee Rice missing the start of the season due to a six-game suspension, Worthy was poised to take on a larger role in his second NFL season. However, injuries have been an ongoing issue for Kansas City's wide receiver corps since Worthy's arrival. The Chiefs initially signed Brown with the hope of creating a dynamic trio with Rice and Worthy, but unfortunate injuries have prevented them from sharing the field.

As the season progresses, the Chiefs will eagerly await updates on Worthy and Royals, especially with a challenging matchup upcoming against the Philadelphia Eagles for a Super Bowl LIX rematch next Sunday.