Chiefs' WR Marquise Brown hospitalized after shoulder injury, Week 1 status in doubt

On the first snap in their opening preseason game, the Kansas City Chiefs sustained their first major injury of the 2024 campaign. Wide receiver Marquise Brown left Saturday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars with a left shoulder injury, one in which he appears to have damaged his collarbone, putting his status in doubt for the start of the regular season.

Coach Andy Reid said Brown left EverBank Stadium during the game to be further evaluated at a local hospital. Reid also said the Chiefs training staff believes Brown sustained a sternoclavicular dislocation, the same injury that former Chiefs receiver Tyreek Hill had in September 2019 on opening day against the Jaguars.

If Brown indeed does have a dislocation, the injury will require surgery, which means he would likely miss the Chiefs’ season opener against the Baltimore Ravens on Sept. 5. In most instances, the timeline for a full recovery after the procedure is four to six weeks.

Hill missed four games — a total of 34 days — before he returned in 2019.

Reid and offensive coordinator Matt Nagy wanted to get Brown, the Chiefs’ No. 1 receiver and their biggest acquisition in free agency, involved in Saturday’s game as soon as possible. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes completed an 11-yard pass to Brown, showing the strong connection they’ve established throughout the offseason and training camp.

But after making the reception, Brown was driven to the turf awkwardly on his left shoulder while being tackled by cornerback Montaric Brown. Before the Chiefs’ drive ended with a field goal from kicker Harrison Butker, Brown had already left the field and entered the locker room.

In March, Brown signed a one-year deal worth up to $11 million to help bolster the Chiefs’ depth at the receiver position. The Chiefs also drafted receiver Xavier Worthy in late April to improve Mahomes’ chances of creating more explosive highlights with deep completions.

Listed at 5-foot-9 and 180 pounds, Brown spent the past two years with the Arizona Cardinals, generating 1,283 yards on 118 catches in 24 games. The last time the Chiefs had such a productive receiver in a two-year stretch was Hill, whom they traded to the Miami Dolphins in March 2022 for five draft picks.

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