The situation for the Kansas City Chiefs might have gone from bad to worse very quickly as they took the field in Brazil. With Rashee Rice set to miss the first six games of the season and rookie standout Jalen Royals suffering from a knee injury, their options at the wide receiver spot were already limited.
However, on the first offensive possession for Kansas City, they might have lost their designated WR1 to injury with Xavier Worthy falling to the ground after a collision to the shoulder courtesy of legendary tight end Travis Kelce. Who can Patrick Mahomes and Co. rely on without Worthy in the lineup?
Kansas City Chiefs WR Depth Chart Behind Xavier Worthy
With a 3rd and long coming up on the first possession of the game itself, the Chiefs tried to get the ball to Worthy. However, he collided with Kelce midway through his route and immediately fell to the ground.
As he was slow to get up, it became clear that the problem was with his arm and shoulder area. He’s headed back to the locker room since. In his absence, the primary two options for Mahomes are going to be the other starters, Hollywood Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster.
Per NFL insider Adam Schefter, Worthy is now ruled out of the game.
.@chiefs friendly fire between @tkelce & @XavierWorthy Big Ouch! #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/iBWvvvFxXr
— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) September 6, 2025
Simultaneously, they can also rely on Kelce himself to pick up the receiving load. Behind Worthy, though, their backups, Tyquan Thornton and Jason Brownlee, will have to pick up the slack in his absence.
It was a similar situation last year as well, when the Chiefs lost both Brown and Rice by Week 4, with the latter coincidentally going down against the Chargers due to some friendly fire.
Related: Rashee Rice Suspension: How Many Games Will the Chiefs Star WR Miss in the 2025 NFL Season?
In Rice’s case, it was his quarterback falling inadvertently on his knees that led to a premature end to his season. For Worthy, Kansas City will be hoping that the situation isn’t as bad as the one with Rice.
Their absence might force the team to once again rely heavily on the running game, with Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt handling a majority of the responsibility, while Brashard Smith comes along in his rookie season.
Additionally, the lack of wide receiver depth after Rice and Brown went down last season forced the Chiefs to make a midseason trade to acquire DeAndre Hopkins. If the injury to Worthy keeps him out for an extended period of time during the season, Kansas City might be forced to make a similar move once again.
