Chiefs Coach Discusses Pending Return of Hollywood Brown – When Could the WR Be Back?

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Marquise "Hollywood" Brown has been sidelined since the Chiefs' first offensive snap of the preseason due to a sternoclavicular injury and complications early in his recovery that led to a more lengthy absence than originally expected. Now, with just four regular season games remaining, Brown's return appears to be extremely close after reportedly being medically cleared to return to practice on Thursday night. Will he have enough time to make an impact before he runs out of runway?

Early Thursday afternoon, Chiefs pass game coordinator Joe Bleymaier spoke to the media and provided insight into Brown's pending return and how the team is thinking about the veteran wide receiver's uncommon timeline.

Bleymaier was asked about Brown's road back to the field and if he's ever been in a similar circumstance where a top-level weapon returned late in the season after an absence as lengthy as Brown's.

"It's funny that you asked that, because I've been asking around, too," Bleymaier said. "Has anybody on our staff [been] in a situation where the guy took every rep in the spring, every rep in training camp, and then we miss him for the entire season, and he's ready to come back? That's unique. As the person, we're excited to get Hollywood back whenever he's ready, just because his personality is so infectious. He's fun to be around, he's a competitor. We can't wait to have him back [and] join the group. The football side of stuff, he's built that, those reps, that camaraderie with Pat and the other receivers. He's been here, he's done it, and he's done it in his past. He just hasn't done it in a game yet this year, which is strange, but he wouldn't be coming back if he wasn't 100% and ready to roll. So, when he is back, I expect him — just like riding a bike, hop back in where he left off. I know that might be asking a lot, but the way that he came in and the way he was progressing, maybe it's just the optimism, but you hope that he's just right there. And, I mean, he's done it. We've seen him do it. Now, it's just a matter of going out there and doing it."

When could Marquise "Hollywood" Brown Return?

During Tuesday's edition of "Only Weird Games" on KC Sports Network, Nate Taylor of The Athletic revealed that Brown's return was likely just around the corner while also reporting the targeted return date for Brown to make his regular season Chiefs debut. With Brown's medical clearance on Thursday night, the timeline seems to be on track.

"Unless something happens, he's expected to be cleared this week," Taylor said on Tuesday. "He is expected to be back with his teammates. Again, it will be a very slow ramp-up, ladies and gentlemen, but the target date, as I understand it, is Christmas in Pittsburgh against the Pittsburgh Steelers, to get Hollywood Brown on the field in a limited role to try to help the offense yet again. Now, it could happen as early as next Saturday against the Houston Texans, but everything would have to go right, and certain circumstances would have to make the coaching staff feel comfortable bringing Hollywood into that game, again, in limited reps, maybe basically what we saw from DeAndre Hopkins in a sense, where it's like, 'Hey, can you give us 12-to-18, 20 snaps if necessary?'"