Chiefs Place Standout Star on IR after Week 1 Due to Shoulder Injury
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — After a promising debut and a practice week limited by a shoulder injury, Xavier Worthy is reportedly being considered by the Kansas City Chiefs for Injured Reserve (IR). If activated, the move would prioritize Worthy’s long-term health and mean a minimum four-game absence before he’s eligible to return.
The short-term absence of Worthy would force the Chiefs to reallocate targets and snaps in the wide receiver room. Marquise “Hollywood” Brown is likely to shoulder more vertical and intermediate work, Skyy Moore and Justin Watson handle spacing and possession downs, while Kadarius Toney (when available) becomes a change-up piece in motion and jet packages. In the middle of the field and the red zone, expect Travis Kelce and Noah Gray to feature more, with Andy Reid leaning on jet motion, screens, and RPOs to preserve horizontal stress without Worthy’s elite top-end speed.
Head coach Andy Reid struck a calm but confident tone: “He was expected to do a lot—by both me and his teammates—and that doesn’t change just because of an injury. I love the way he plays—fast, disciplined, unafraid of big moments. The NFL is a marathon; if we opt for IR to let him heal fully, that’s a mature decision. When he’s back, I expect him to make an immediate impact.”
Inside the building, the guiding principle remains “go farther rather than go fast.” Sacrificing short-term wide-receiver depth so Worthy can return at 100% is viewed as prudent given a long season and a volatile week-to-week AFC race. If Worthy is placed on IR after Week 1, the earliest realistic return would be after Week 5, with positive signs to watch including contact tolerance in the shoulder, change-of-direction range, and a progression from Limited to Full workloads in practice.
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