The Kansas City Chiefs will kick off the regular season against the Baltimore Ravens, but they might be doing it without one of their most dangerous playmakers. Wide receiver Marquise Brown suffered a serious shoulder injury during the preseason opener which puts his availability into question. The sternoclavicular dislocation hospitalized Brown, although the wide receiver has since been released. According to Dr. Jesse Morse, the recovery timeline for an injury of this scope is approximately 4-6 weeks.
The Chiefs and Ravens face off on September 5th, so Brown probably won’t play based on Morse’s timeline. Recently, head coach Andy Reid spoke to the media and said “we’ll see” about Brown’s availability. While that’s not the most informative upgrade, history tells us this language is bad news. Reid tends to be optimistic when it comes to injury updates, so Marquise Brown could be gone for a while.
Andy Reid’s “we’ll see” labels are typically bad news for players when attached to a date or timeframehttps://t.co/4E3AsiPJbY https://t.co/kAoNBdLrSa pic.twitter.com/iaXKPpG4nS
— The Coachspeak Index (@CoachspeakIndex) August 12, 2024
Injury Could Keep Marquise Brown Out Of Chiefs, Ravens Matchup
After spending the past two seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, Marquise Brown signed a one-year deal with the Kansas City Chiefs during the offseason. Added to effectively be a better version of Marquez Valdes-Scantling, the wide receiver’s deep speed made him a natural fit in this offense. Patrick Mahomes has one of the best arms in NFL history and Brown can blow past opposing defenses with ease. After struggling with inconsistent receivers last year, the Chiefs went above and beyond to ensure Mahomes had reliable options in 2024.
Even if the injury keeps Marquise Brown sidelined for a bit, Kansas City has the pieces to succeed without him. Travis Kelce is still here, and even though he slowed down a bit during the 2023 regular season, his postseason performances show he still has something left in his tank. Rashee Rice may or may not receive a suspension any day now, but for the time being, the wide receiver should suit up in Week 1. Rice had a remarkable rookie season and the Chiefs probably don’t win the Super Bowl without him. If he can build on that performance and keep his head out of trouble, he could develop into the team’s top receiving option once Kelce calls it a career.
Of course, there is also first-round pick Xavier Worthy. A relatively undersized player, Worthy makes up for his lack of size with his game-breaking speed. He’s quite literally the fastest player in the history of the NFL Combine and has made quite a few impressive plays during training camp. Preseason results don’t always translate to regular season success, but if he pans out, the Chiefs could have the league’s most dangerous offense once again.
Missed Revenge Game
It’s a shame if injury keeps Marquise Brown out of this contest, as the wide receiver probably had this game circled on his calendar. Brown originally made a name for himself with the Ravens, serving as their first-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. The first receiver selected, Brown hit the ground running and recorded 195 receptions for 2,361 yards and 21 touchdowns during his three years with the club. However, he requested a trade and spent the final two years of his rookie deal with the Cardinals.
Main Photo: Joe Rondone – USA Today Sports
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