Already without Rashee Rice for the first six weeks, the Kansas City Chiefs lost their best wide receiver when Xavier Worthy suffered a shoulder injury in Week 1. While the second-year wideout's outlook is not great, the team is hopeful that Worthy will not miss too much time.
Worthy is already expected to miss multiple weeks, but the team fears that doctors could recommend season-ending surgery. Their “hope” is that he can “return with a brace,” which appears to be the “most likely option,” according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport.
“My understanding is Xavier Worthy suffered a dislocated shoulder injury,” Rapoport said. “It is unclear as of right now how much time he's going to miss. He's still soliciting a second opinion. I'm told the most likely option is for him to be able to brace it up and return this season. However, tests are pending, and surgery is still, as of right now, an option.”
From @NFLGameDay Morning: #Chiefs WR Xavier Worthy suffered a dislocated shoulder in Brazil and he’s still undergoing tests. But the hope is he can return with a brace; Meanwhile, Christian McCaffrey was a big part of walk-through on Saturday, a sign he’s trending to go. pic.twitter.com/kVRG9wxI0U
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 7, 2025
The unfortunate injury occurred on the Chiefs' first drive of the game. Worthy ran a crossing route with tight end Travis Kelce and bumped into him, dislocating his shoulder and removing him from the contest.
The injury is beginning to give the Chiefs and their fan base a horrifying case of Déjà vu after the injury-plagued season the team endured in 2024. Ironically, Worthy was the only starting receiver not to get injured in his rookie year, but is now in danger of missing his entire second season.
Chiefs' receiver room with Xavier Worthy injury
Worthy's injury puts a screeching halt to his expected second-year breakout before it could even begin. After torching the Philadelphia Eagles with 157 receiving yards and two touchdowns in Super Bowl LIX, many fans were expecting him to take a leap in year two. Those expectations were only furthered when Rice received his six-game suspension, making him Patrick Mahomes' top wide receiver to begin the year.
Worthy was thrust into a featured role in 2024 when Rice suffered a torn ACL, and Marquise Brown spent the entire year on injured reserve due to a shoulder injury. Worthy's injury is eerily similar to that of Rice, with both receivers victims of freak accidents involving their own teammates.
Without Worthy in the rotation, the Chiefs will need more from JuJu Smith-Schuster, Jalen Royals, Tyquan Thornton and Jason Brownlee. Royals, the team's 2025 fourth-round pick, was inactive for the opener, but will need to become a factor with two starters out for the foreseeable future.
