If you’re a Kansas City Chiefs fan or roster wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown in fantasy football, we have some unfortunate news for you.
Brown didn’t participate in Kansas City’s first practice of the week as they prepare to host the Cincinnati Bengals this Sunday. Based on Chiefs head coach Andy Reid’s track record, that doesn’t bode well for the speedy wideout’s availability ahead of the upcoming contest.
As ESPN’s Adam Teicher mentions, Reid left the door open for Brown to return to the lineup and make his team debut in Week 2. However, the Chiefs reporter’s follow-up note suggests the odds are against the Kansas City pass-catcher.
It’d be “unlike” Reid to have Brown (or any player) “suit up without a full week of practice after [missing] so much time,” per Teicher. In other words, logging a DNP (did not practice) on Wednesday already puts the 27-year-old in jeopardy of missing a second consecutive game to begin the 2024 campaign.
Not only is Brown ostensibly in danger of sitting out versus the Bengals, but it seems like he’s on the wrong side of questionable. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Rashee Rice and first-round rookie Xavier Worthy will continue operating as quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ top two receivers for at least one more contest.
Kansas City lost Brown in their first preseason game of the year (on their opening drive) against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He landed hard on his left shoulder after catching an 11-yard pass from Mahomes. Since then, the issue has been deemed a “sternoclavicular injury,” with a four-to-six week initial recovery timetable. The forthcoming battle with Cincy will mark somewhere in the middle of the original diagnosis.
The Chiefs signed Brown to a one-year deal worth “up to” $11 million this offseason. He spent the past two seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, recording 1118 receptions for 1,283 yards and seven touchdowns during that stretch. Alas, health derailed his previous tenure, limiting him to 26 of 34 possible appearances. Unfortunately, the former first-round pick’s stint in Kansas City is off to a similar start. Hopefully, this doesn’t become a recurring theme.
