Chiefs Rule Out Hollywood Brown For Week 1 vs Ravens

The Kansas City Chiefs have officially ruled out star wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown for their Week 1 regular season opener against his former team, the Baltimore Ravens.

Brown injured his shoulder in the Chiefs’ preseason opener, and will now officially miss the first game of the 2024 season with a sternoclavicular dislocation.

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Brown joined the Chiefs this offseason on a one-year, $7 million deal. The 27-year-old was expected to become the top wide receiver option for quarterback Patrick Mahomes, but will have to wait at least a week before taking on that role.

Thursday night would have been a revenge game for Brown, as he was drafted by the Ravens with the 25th overall pick in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Brown spent three seasons with the Ravens, accumulating 195 receptions for 2,361 yards and 21 touchdowns across 46 games with Baltimore.

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On the first day of the 2022 NFL Draft, Brown was shipped to the Arizona Cardinals. Brown spent the 2022 and 2023 seasons with the Cardinals, reeling in 118 catches for 1,283 yards and seven touchdowns across 26 games.

Brown joined the Chiefs this offseason fresh off their back-to-back Super Bowl wins. The Chiefs were able to win the Super Bowl last year without a true No. 1 wide receiver — Brown was expected to be that guy this season.

The Chiefs will hope Brown can return for their Week 2 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals. He’ll have 11 days between Wednesday and next Sunday to get healthy enough for that matchup.

Fantasy Football Impact of Hollywood Brown Injury for Chiefs

With Brown out, the Chiefs will be relying on Rashee Rice as their No. 1 receiver. In 16 games (eight starts) his rookie season, Rice had 79 catches for 938 yards and seven touchdowns. He finished sixth in Offensive Rookie of the Year award voting.

After Rice, the most enticing wide receiver option for the Chiefs would be rookie first-round pick Xavier Worthy. The Chiefs traded up to select Worthy with the 28th overall pick, and he’s currently listed as a starter alongside Rice on the depth chart. Worthy ran a 4.21 40-yard dash, and has the potential for a big play just about any time he’s on the field.

Tight end Travis Kelce remains the best option in terms of Chiefs weapons. He’ll get tons of targets, especially in the red zone, and should be in for a big game in the Week 1 opener.

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