Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy went down with an apparent shoulder injury on the Chiefs’ opening drive against the Los Angeles Chargers on Friday night.
Worthy was running a cross route, trying to get free for Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, when he collided with tight end Travis Kelce.
What Happened to Xavier Worthy?
After getting hit, Worthy went down on the field and was favoring his right arm. He was attended to by Chiefs medical personnel and went off the field. When he reached the Chiefs’ sidelines, a medical person was working on his right shoulder.
NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger posted a clip online of the collision between Worthy and Kelce. Once they collided, Worthy fell to the field and was seen writhing in pain.
.@chiefs friendly fire between @tkelce & @XavierWorthy Big Ouch! #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/iBWvvvFxXr
— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) September 6, 2025
Worthy headed to the Chiefs locker room and looked frustrated after the play. Matt Derrick put a post out on X after the play.
Oh boy. Xavier Worthy took a pop on his shoulder in the collision with Travis Kelce. That’s going to bring back some hard memories from last year.
— Matt Derrick (@mattderrick) September 6, 2025
Per NFL insider Adam Schefter, Worthy was ruled out of the game. Already without Rashee Rice for the first six weeks of the season, the Chiefs cannot afford to lose Worthy for long…and neither can fantasy managers. We already saw the Chiefs manufacture a touch for Worthy on the second play of the game.
Latest Update on Worthy’s Injury
On Monday, September 8, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid spoke to the media and gave an update on Worthy’s injury.
“I know Xavier is the big question,” the Chiefs HC said. “He’s rehabbing and working his shoulder. We’ll just see where it goes, day-by-day here. We’ll see where we end up.”
NFL insider Adam Schefter also provided an update on the Chiefs star’s injury, and he expects Worthy to “miss a little bit of time.”
“I think Xavier Worthy is gonna miss a little bit of time here..
He will probably be week to week with that dislocated shoulder” ~ @AdamSchefter #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/tjopCTO7hk
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) September 8, 2025
Schefter referred Worthy’s status as “week-to-week.” As a result, he is unlikely to play in the Week 2 game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
What Would Chiefs Look Like Without Worthy?
Behind Worthy, the Chiefs have Hollywood Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Tyquan Thornton. If Worthy is sidelined, Travis Kelce could once again be forced to shoulder a larger role than the Chiefs originally planned.
Although the injury doesn’t appear to be a long-term concern, Worthy could still miss a game or two. In that case, Brown profiles as a potential WR3 option, but enthusiasm for this passing attack remains limited. Patrick Mahomes would likely distribute targets evenly, creating a situation where the preferred fantasy starter shifts weekly and remains difficult to predict.
Last postseason, Mahomes had a perfect 158.3 passer rating when throwing to Worthy (19 completions on 21 throws for 287 yards, 3 TDs, and 0 interceptions). With Rashee Rice suspended for the first six weeks this season, Worthy is poised to see his usage spike.
With him out of the lineup, Kelce may be leaned on to shoulder a heavier workload early on than the Chiefs initially intended for the veteran tight end.