Jan 26, 2025; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Hollywood Brown (5) against the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Chiefs Can't Afford to Lose WRs After Brown Scare

Originally posted on Kansas City Chiefs on SI
By Jared Feinberg | Last updated Jul 30, 2025 11:30 AM ET

The Kansas City Chiefs have ruled the AFC with an iron fist since 2018, having appeared in every AFC Championship game since then. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes and head coach Andy Reid have been the key perpetrators of this success and should continue to do so in 2025.

However, after a recent injury scare with one of their key playmakers, the Chiefs are a team that cannot afford to lose any of their top skill players for the season, especially with the fate of one starter's initial start to the season.

Hollywood Brown's injury scare brings question marks to the WR room

On paper, when healthy, the Chiefs have one of the highest ceilings at wide receiver in the entire NFL. One of the important veterans of the group is former first-round pick Hollywood Brown, who has not played in many games for the franchise due to injury. On Tuesday, Brown suffered a lower leg injury that caused a decent scare at the position.

However, NFL Insider Jordan Schultz reported that Brown avoided serious injury and could return to practice as soon as Wednesday, a significant sigh of relief for Kansas City, a team that cannot afford to lose any top players at wide receiver.

While the Chiefs may have great potential at wide receiver, there is volatility in the room when it comes to injuries or legal issues. Third-year player Rashee Rice, arguably the team's top player at the position, has an impending suspension and 30-day jail sentence stemming from his role in a multi-car accident in 2024. Brown, missing any time for injuries, would hamper a room that has already put pressure on former first-round pick Xavier Worthy.

This isn't to say Worthy isn't capable of handling a top-target workload, something that flashed in Super Bowl LIX. However, having Worthy, rookie Jalen Royals, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Skyy Moore is not an ideal situation for Kansas City and their quarterback this season.

Another injury to Brown, plus the looming Rice suspension, would already put a damper on the start of the Chiefs' season, with several early key matchups in the schedule within the first two months. This group of playmakers must stay healthy and give Mahomes the best playmakers available to succeed and improve after an up-and-down 2024 campaign.

Brown remains an important piece to the Chiefs' 2025 successes and should remain as such. He must stay healthy for himself and his teammates' sake as the franchise pursues an incredible fourth consecutive Super Bowl appearance.

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This article first appeared on Kansas City Chiefs on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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