Even before the Chiefs‘ offense could gain momentum or gain a first down, a key piece of their game plan left the field. I’m talking about Xavier Worthy. Less than two minutes into the game against the Chargers on Friday, he was busy running a crossing route to gain separation against Los Angeles’ man-to-man coverage. However, he collided with his teammate, Travis Kece, before finishing his route. The play ended with QB Patrick Mahomes throwing an incompletion as Worthy fell in pain. He was injured.

The 22-year-old walked off to the locker room, and before halftime, Kansas City ruled the player out of the game. Without one of their most important receivers, the Chiefs ended their first three possessions with punts Friday night—that’s the third time since Mahomes has been their starting QB. They eventually lost 21-27. But the Chiefs may have more bad news on the way. Deepak Chona, MD, SMA, who is an injury analyst, wrote on X, “#Chiefs Xavier Worthy – High concern for shoulder dislocation. Suspect MRI coming. Re-injury risk = high with these. In-season return depends on personal risk tolerance + structural damage extent. 1-2 weeks is possible in some cases.” And in a short clip attached to the tweet, he said:

“Is Worthy coming back? Looks like they are trying to pop his shoulder back in place. If it dislocated, it can tear labrum and/or fracture. So, he’d likely be out pending imaging. Possible to return in season. In some cases, even as short as one to two weeks, but re-dislocation rate is very high. So, he’d have to make a decision on if it’s worth risking as a young guy on a rookie deal. Very best-case scenario here, probably a stinger, which typically recovers fast and without deficit. Unfortunately, not super optimistic about that.”

So far, concrete information about the level of injury is unavailable. If the player misses an extended period, the Chiefs will need a replacement. In such a scenario, Kendrick Bourne, who is still a free agent, would be an interesting choice. Nelson Agholor and Brandin Cooks could also be considered.

Worthy was pivotal last year for Kansas’ offense. As a rookie, he hauled in 59 passes for 638 yards and six scores, while also taking 20 carries for 104 yards and three more touchdowns. Those numbers came on 98 targets last season. And without Worthy, Mahomes’ toolbox loses its burner. The Chiefs no longer have the pace machine who could stretch the field on early downs or flip momentum with one sprint. Just take a look at his 157-yard, 2-TD eruption in Super Bowl LIX.

Now, with uncertainty looming around Worthy’s return, what will HC Andy Reid do?

Who fills in, and Andy Reid’s next move…

Reid was already counting heavily on Worthy due to the Rashee Rice situation. Rice has been suspended for the first six games of the season for his role in a high-speed crash and fleeing the scene. So, Worthy was Reid’s most reliable WR on the roster. Losing him makes things a lot more complicated. “We’ll know tomorrow once we get back,” Reid said after the game. “We’ll do an MRI.” The player’s status for Week 2 against the Eagles remains unclear, and that’s bad news for Mahomes and the rest of the team.

Kansas City’s depth chart points to Hollywood Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster as first in line. Beyond them, it’s a patchwork of Tyquan Thornton, rookie Jalen Royals, Jason Brownlee, and Nikko Remigio. Tactically, Reid can lean on what works. Maybe more Kelce underneath (matchup heavy), more quick-game to Smith-Schuster and Brown, and creative pre-snap motion to manufacture open throws for Mahomes.

But patch-ups don’t last more than a couple of games. If Worthy returns in a couple of weeks, it likely won’t pose a major strategic issue for Reid. However, nothing can be said right now.