The wide receiver room for the Kansas City Chiefs is in flux entering Week 2 of the regular season. With Rashee Rice serving his suspension, second-year wideout Xavier Worthy sidelined with a shoulder injury, and rookie Jaylen Royals working his way back from a knee injury, there are several players expected to be contributors who are not capable of being on the field.

This was an opportunity for those wide receivers who are healthy and available to play to make their presence felt. The biggest potential benefactor of these injuries is none other than Hollywood Brown, as the veteran pass catcher is undoubtedly the top receiving threat on the outside entering Sunday’s showdown with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Worthy Return Update Hurts Hollywood Brown’s Chances to Stand Out

Unfortunately, that window for Brown to sell himself to the coaching staff and the front office in what is a contract year is sounding like it will be a small one. Chiefs coach Andy Reid seemed to confirm for fans that Worthy would be able to return in the not-so-distant future by ruling out surgery and downplaying the possibility of a stint on the short-term IR, according to Charles Goldman of A to Z Sports.

To say that Brown is the most trusted target of Patrick Mahomes ahead of Sunday’s Super Bowl rematch might be an understatement. Of the 39 pass attempts Mahomes made against the Los Angeles Chargers, 16 went Brown’s way with the former Oklahoma Sooners standout reeling in 10 of those targets for 99 receiving yards.

While Worthy’s impending return is great news for Kansas City as a team, he will cut into the opportunities Brown has to make plays on the outside the moment he does retake the field. There is simply no scenario that will play out where a healthy Worthy is on the outside and Brown still receives that many targets.

With Brown set to hit unrestricted free agency following the 2025 campaign, he is going to want to take advantage of every opportunity he gets to position himself for a large payday. Whether that comes from the Chiefs or another NFL franchise remains to be seen. To suggest it isn’t something at the front of Brown’s mind, though, is foolish.