The time is drawing nigh for several long-standing injuries to heal up for the Kansas City Chiefs. While it's been frustrating to play without them, the truth is that the team will also feel the injection of fresh energy when a few important players begin to return from injury in the second half of the season.
The Chiefs already got back wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster in Week 11 after he'd missed nearly a month with a hamstring injury. More players could be back as soon as the team's Week 12 contest against the Carolina Panthers. Even more important, head coach Andy Reid had some good news about another wide receiver who was initially believed to be out for the year.
Marquise "Hollywood" Brown was signed this offseason to a one-year deal to come in and provide a WR1 alongside Xavier Worthy in an overhaul of the Chiefs wide receiver room. Brown looked the part in minicamp and training camp throughout the spring and summer as a veteran leader who developed a quick rapport with Patrick Mahomes during workouts.
Andy Reid met with the media on Wednesday to talk about a few of the Chiefs injured players and where they stand going into Week 12.
Unfortunately, Brown was sidelined on his very first catch of the preseason when he suffered a sternoclavicular injury in the team's opening exhibition against the Jacksonville Jaguars. After initial reports had him out for a few weeks, the Chiefs eventually placed him on injured reserve and from there, it was believed that he would be out for the year.
In recent weeks, the notion that Brown could return in '24 has surfaced and it's possible that he could even be back for the end of the regular season. There's no timeline in place, but Brown himself even put out a cryptic post that insinuated as much.
On Wednesday, Reid met with the media and was asked about what he saw in the progress of Brown from his injury. " making very good progress. I can’t tell you a time when he’ll be back, but he’s another one that is excited to get back out here and get going. I appreciate the way he’s approached this whole thing."
Brown had 51 catches last year for 574 yards and 4 scores for the Arizona Cardinals. He has 28 touchdown receptions in five seasons in the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens and Cardinals.
Reid also had good news regarding the health of the current active roster, saying that everyone was able to fully participate in practice. That bodes well for the return sooner than later of both running back Isiah Pacheco and pass rusher Charles Omenihu.
"Yeah, we’ll see on both of those two: Charles and . We’ll kinda go through the practice and see where they’re at this week and then go from there. You just have to see. It’s a day-by-day kind of thing," said Reid.
Pacheco has been out since Week 2 with a fractured fibula, while Omenihu has been rehabbing a torn ACL that goes back to last season.