The Kansas City Chiefs' Week 1 game against the Los Angeles Chargers couldn't have gone worse for them. Already missing Rashee Rice for six games due to his suspension, wide receiver and 2024 first-round pick Xavier Worthy was injured minutes into the game. The worst part? It was friendly fire that hurt Worthy: tight end Travis Kelce collided with Worthy, leading to the injury.
Rubbing salt onto the wound, the Chiefs lost to the Chargers for the first time since 2021. The reigning AFC champions will now start the season 0-1, and will have to play the next few weeks without their WR1 and WR2.
Kelce fully owned up to accidentally hurting his teammate. On his weekly podcast “New Heights”, the Chiefs tight end said that he ran his route wrong and that it's inexcusable for him to run that route wrong.
“I’m supposed to be running my route at depth for Worthy,” Kelce said on the podcast, per Ian Rapoport. “So, it’s frustrating for me. I was trying to kind of set up my guy to be able to get into position, and it all just happened pretty quick. I just gotta be better, man. I’m 13 years in the league. There is no excuse for me running into my own guys like that…”
The play that Worthy got injured on was a classic play design that football fans should be familiar with. Kelce and Worth were running a mesh concept, a play that involves two receivers running routes that “rub” against each other. The idea behind it is that one of the receivers will essentially set a “pick” for the other. However, one of the Chiefs' receivers ran the route at the wrong depth, causing Kelce and Worthy to collide.
Thankfully, Worthy avoided a serious injury. While the Chiefs receiver did suffer a shoulder injury, the team is optimistic that the wide receiver will be returning to the field sooner rather than later.
The Chiefs will be facing off against the Philadelphia Eagles this week, a rematch of last year's Super Bowl.
