Getty Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Marquise "Hollywood" Brown encouraged a KC teammate ahead of Week 1.
The Kansas City Chiefs will be without Hollywood Brown against the wide receiver’s former team, the Baltimore Ravens, in Week 1.
Even though he’s missing the game, Brown appeared to be in good spirits on social media ahead of the Thursday Night Football opener. “Your performance will feed families tomrrow brotha 🚀,” Brown wrote in a message directed toward fellow KC wideout Rashee Rice on X.
Brown’s September tweet shared one by Rice that featured a photo of him holding up four fingers on each hand with the caption: “Calm b4..”
Both posts went viral — with Brown’s follow-up raking in 2.3 million views and 15,000 likes in 12 hours. Rice’s original tweet had 2.4 million views and 4,100 likes over a similar stretch of time.
With Brown missing in action and first-round selection Xavier Worthy appearing in his first NFL game, Rice and superstar tight end Travis Kelce are still expected to lead the Chiefs in targets versus the Ravens in Week 1.
Hollywood Brown & Rashee Rice Switcheroo Provides Unexpected Touch of Irony in Week 1
The Chiefs had always prepared for the possibility that Rice might be suspended to start the season. Ironically, it is Rice — not Brown — who will be suiting up against the Ravens.
A combination of unexpected events caused this wide receiver switcheroo for Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs ahead of Week 1.
First, Brown suffered what looked like a serious injury during KC’s August 10 preseason opener. He was hospitalized in Jacksonville but received a positive prognosis that kept him off injured reserve.
He will miss at least one regular season game, however, maybe more.
Later, on August 29, the league office hinted that it would likely wait out the legal proceedings before rushing to judgment on Rice’s punishment in relation to an April 2024 car crash in which Rice, according to an affidavit, was driving 119 miles per hour. That process could push any potential suspension into 2025.
With Rice’s court date set for December 9, 2024, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport suggested the delay could occur as early as the NFL draft.
A delayed punishment would mirror the way the league handled running back Alvin Kamara’s disciplinary case after he faced charges of “conspiracy to commit battery and battery resulting in substantial bodily harm” in Las Vegas.
Kamara was eventually suspended three games at the start of the 2023 season even though the incident occurred in February 2022. He was available for the New Orleans Saints throughout the entire 2022 campaign outside of injury.
Chiefs Beat Reporter Says Justin Watson Could Outsnap Xavier Worthy in Week 1
Just because Brown is sidelined, don’t necessarily expect Worthy to jump straight into the deep end against a tough Ravens defense.
“Rice should lead [the] Chiefs’ receivers in snaps,” Arrowhead Pride beat reporter Pete Sweeney told an inquisitive fan on September 3.
He even added that “I wouldn’t be stunned if another receiver, like a Justin Watson, outsnaps Worthy in his first game.”
There tends to be a veteran hierarchy when it comes to head coach Andy Reid. Remember, it took half the season for Rice to crack the starting lineup in 2023 — and he only did so after his talent proved to be undeniable.
Rest assured, Worthy will get some burn during the opener, but he probably won’t play as much as the fanbase desires. Instead, you’ll likely see some Watson and some Mecole Hardman. And you may even get a little bit of JuJu Smith-Schuster and Skyy Moore.
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