The Kansas City Chiefs suffered a potentially devastating injury to a member of their receiving corps during Week 1 of the NFL season. Wide receiver Xavier Worthy suffered a dislocated shoulder on the first drive of the game after inadvertently running into Travis Kelce. Since Friday, there have been conflicting reports on the status of Worthy going forward.
That said, entering Week 1, the Chiefs were already short-handed at wide receiver due to injury. Rookie Jalen Royals did not make the trip to Brazil due to knee tendinitis. However, on Monday, head coach Andy Reid provided a positive update on Royals.
According to Charles Goldman of A to Z Sports, Reid said, "Jalen [Royals] is doing a good job with his rehab. We'll just see how that ends up this week. . . We'll see."Although Reid didn't confirm if Royals will be available, it's good news to hear he is trending in the right direction.
Jalen Royals Trending In the Right Direction Heading Into Week 2
Chiefs Kingdom can't wait to see the rookie take his first regular-season snaps. Although Royals. recorded just three catches on four targets for 14 yards in the preseason, he stood out in training camp. During training camp, the 22-year-old connected on multiple deep balls with Patrick Mahomes and was even making some nice contested catches.
With Worthy's injury and Rashee Rice's suspension, the Chiefs' receiving corps needs all the help it can get. When Worthy left the game on Friday. It left Hollywood Brown as the leading receiver. Brown finished the game with 10 receptions on 14 targets for 99 yards.
Even so, the seven-year pro had some crucial drops, including one on third down. Drops have been a consistent theme in Brown's career, making it impossible to trust him as a No. 1 or No.2 option.
Be that as it may, Royals is a rookie, so even if he does return in Week 2, Brown will certainly be a higher priority target. Still, the 22-year-old being inserted into the lineup could help make up for the potential loss of Worthy.
After looking as bad as they did in the first half on Friday, the Chiefs will need all the help they can get in their Super Bowl rematch against the Philadelphia Eagles. Despite it only being Week 2, this game is of massive importance because Kansas City can't start 0-2. Moreover, if the Chiefs lose to the Eagles again, Chiefs Kingdom won't hear the end of it.