The Kansas City Chiefs will not have a deep-threat receiver for the foreseeable future as Marquise Brown heads to Injured Reserve.
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Brown, who missed Week 1 of the NFL season, will have to undergo surgery on his shoulder. According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, Brown had intentions of getting back on the field this week, but his shoulder is not healing as it should.
The veteran receiver sustained the injury during the first week of the preseason. He caught a pass from Patrick Mahomes and gained 11 yards to open a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He then landed on his shoulder after being tackled by a Jaguars defender.
Brown went to the sideline and then the locker room after the play. He ultimately went to a hospital for further examination.
According to ESPN, the injury was a dislocation of the sternoclavicular shoulder joint. Head coach Andy Reid told reporters in early August that the injury would not require surgery. He did not provide a timeline for when Brown would be able to return to the lineup.
"They were able to get the joint back into place without surgery, which is a positive,'' Reid said. "Then we'll just see on the recovery. He is back in Kansas City now. He stayed over in Jacksonville until they got that thing situated.''
A former first-round pick, Brown spent the first three seasons of his career in Baltimore. He accumulated 2,361 yards and 21 touchdowns before the team traded him to the Arizona Cardinals. The receiver appeared in 26 games over two seasons in Arizona, and he delivered 1,283 yards and seven touchdowns.
The Chiefs added Brown to the lineup via free agency during the offseason in pursuit of improved play from the receiving corps. The team also used a first-round pick to draft Xavier Worthy, who delivered two touchdowns on three touches to start the season.
Worthy will remain a pivotal piece of the offense heading into a matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals. Rashee Rice will also continue to serve as a top receiving option for Mahomes while JuJu Smith-Schuster potentially takes on a larger role in Brown's absence.
