The Kansas City Chiefs are heading into their Week 3 primetime matchup against the New York Giants in a very different scenario than anyone could have initially pictured. After falling to the Chargers and Eagles to open the regular season, the Chiefs find themselves on the ropes at 0-2 with a greater need for a victory than anticipated at MetLife.
The Giants are also 0-2, which makes Sunday Night Football a contest between two desperate franchises. For Kansas City, that feeling is exacerbated by the knowledge their best offensive playmaker isn't certain to return (and that key contributors will miss the season's third game due to injury)
Andy Reid had some bad news on the injury front for the Chiefs as they head to MetLife.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid spoke to the media on Friday following practice and stated that he wasn't 100 percent certain that Xavier Worthy would be able to play after all. Reports were positive concerning Worthy in the last week, saying that he would be likely to play with a supportive harness for a torn labrum in his right shoulder.
Worthy missed Week 2, but was reportedly wanting to play even after missing most of practice that week. The Chiefs decided to hold him back and downgraded him from doubtful to out in his pre-game injury designation heading into their game in Philadelphia.
It also doesn't look good for the Chiefs to have defenders Mike Danna and Kristian Fulton on Sunday. Both players were held out of practice on Friday, meaning that both missed the entire week due to injuries.
Danna has been dealing with a hip injury suffered in Week 2 against the Philadelphia Eagles. Danna left that game early and was originally designated as questionable to return, but he was downgraded to out shortly thereafter.
Given his starting presence on the line, Danna's absence opens the door for a younger rotational player like Ashton Gillotte. The team's third round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Gillotte has looked good in shorter bursts, and it will be interesting to see if the Chiefs give him a starting nod or whether they go wtih someone else opposite George Karlaftis.
As for Fulton, his injury history was already well-documented before even arriving in Kansas City, but he's been unavailable for most of his short tenure with the Chiefs already. Fulton missed the majority of training camp due to being on the team's Physically Unable to Play list, and he's been limited in his reps in the regular season so far.
If Worthy is unable to play, hopes that the Chiefs' stagnant offense will fade knowing that Patrick Mahomes will once again take the field without best weapons. Perhaps some good news can be found in Jalen Royals' availability, considering he returned to practice this week after missing the first two games with knee tendinitis. However, he's a rookie making his debut, so expectations should be measured there.
The Chiefs and Giants are scheduled to kick off in Week 3 on September 21 at 7:20 p.m. C.T.