What Xavier Worthy’s Timeline Could Look Like

“The biggest concern initially, beyond the obvious pain, swelling and stiffness the athlete experiences,” she said Monday, “is what the extent of tissue damage to the shoulder joint is as a result of the dislocation.

“Common associated trauma includes labral or capsular tears, cartilage injuries and/or fractures. The extent of trauma can dictate the treatment options along with the recovery time.”

In layman’s terms, ouch.

Pain expected to reside until surgery

The pain Worthy is fighting through, Bell said, won’t go away unless he has season-ending surgery. But head coach Andy Reid indicated Monday that the team has initially chosen the non-surgery route.

“I know Xavier is the big question,” Reid said Monday. “He's rehabbing and working his shoulder. We'll just see where it goes. Day-by-day here. We'll see where we end up.”

Factors impacting return to play

So, while a quick return doesn’t seem likely for Sunday’s Super Bowl rematch with Philadelphia (3:25 p.m. CT, FOX/WDAF Channel 4, 96.5 The Fan), Worthy appears to be working hard to get back on the field, something Bell called conservative treatment.

“Return to play time,” she said Monday, “is driven primarily by restoration of adequate position-specific function (range of motion, strength in the shoulder and its surrounding muscles to allow getting back to action as a wide receiver) and protection, which can come in the form of a brace or harness.

“Players don't typically love wearing a harness because the goal of the device is to restrict motion (and therefore prevent re-dislocation), which hampers their ability to play the position as effectively as they otherwise would. But it's a compromise that can allow a player to return to action and postpone stabilization surgery until the offseason.”

The good news for Kansas City is the injury didn’t affect Worthy’s legs. His 4.21-second speed will still be a deep threat when he returns to the field.