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Xavier Worthy Xavier Worthy Returns to practice
Fri, Jul 26, 2024, 9:20 AM
Worthy (illness) returned to practice Friday, Adam Teicher of ESPN.com reports.
Analysis: It isn't ideal for a rookie to miss spring practices with a hamstring injury and now four days of training camp due to an illness, but he's back on the field Friday and has plenty of time to make an impression before Week 1. Selected 28th overall this spring after running the 40-yard dash in a combine-record 4.21 seconds, Worthy is part of a WR room where Rashee Rice and Hollywood Brown are the top veterans. The team also has three early draft picks from prior years -- Kadarius Toney, Mecole Hardman and Skyy Moore -- but at this point they're all viewed as disappointments and likely are competing for backup roles or special-teams snaps more so than top-three spots at wide receiver. Rice and Justin Watson (foot) are the only returning WRs that got a lot of playing time for the Chiefs last season. |
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Justin Watson Justin Watson Foot injury downplayed
Thu, Jul 25, 2024, 2:48 PM
Watson is expected to miss just a few days of training camp due to a minor foot issue, Matt Derrick of ChiefsDigest.com reports.
Analysis: Per Derrick, at first glace the left foot injury that Watson sustained Wednesday appeared concerning, but tests have reportedly revealed that the wideout avoided a long-term issue. Once Watson is able to return to practice, he'll look to cement his standing in a Kansas City WR corps that also includes Rashee Rice, Hollywood Brown, Xavier Worthy, Kadarius Toney, Mecole Hardman and Skyy Moore. In 16 regular-season outings in 2023, Watson compiled a 27-460-3 receiving line. |
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Xavier Worthy Xavier Worthy Misses practice again
Wed, Jul 24, 2024, 10:56 AM
Worthy (illness) missed a third straight practice Wednesday, Pete Sweeney of ArrowheadPride.com reports.
Analysis: Worthy landed in an ideal spot for immediate fantasy value when the Chiefs drafted him with the 28th overall pick in the draft this April, but he hasn't actually had many chances to catch passes from Patrick Mahomes. He missed most of the offseason program with a hamstring injury, and now has been out for a trio of of training-camp practices due to the illness. Worthy still has plenty of time to earn a top-three role at wide receiver, and the competition doesn't look all that tough beyond Rashee Rice and Hollywood Brown. Moreover, Justin Watson was carted off the field at Wednesday's practice, leaving Worthy, Kadarius Toney, Skyy Moore, Mecole Hardman, Nikko Remigio and Justyn Ross as the leading candidates for first-team reps alongside Rice and Brown. |
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Justin Watson Justin Watson Injured at practice
Wed, Jul 24, 2024, 10:33 AM
Watson departed Wednesday's practice early due to an apparent foot injury, Matt Derrick of ChiefsDigest.com reports.
Analysis: Watson was injured while catching a pass, then was carted to the locker room after meeting with trainers, per Adam Teicher of ESPN.com. The severity of his injury remains unknown, but any missed time on Watson's part will open up reps for receivers lower on Kansas City's depth chart, especially with Xavier Worthy (illness) still missing practice time. Kadarius Toney, Mecole Hardman, Skyy Moore, Justyn Ross and Nikko Remigio could all benefit from more snaps. |
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Kadarius Toney Kadarius Toney Getting backfield work
Tue, Jul 23, 2024, 3:41 PM
Toney has been seeing reps out of the backfield at running back early in training camp, Blair Kerkhoff of the Kansas City Star reports.
Analysis: Handling carries isn't completely foreign to Toney, as he's rushed 21 times for 119 yards and one touchdown across four NFL seasons. He also rushed 66 times for 580 yards and two scores in four seasons at Florida before entering the league. With the additions of first-rounder Xavier Worthy and free-agent pickup Hollywood Brown in the offseason to go along with Rashee Rice, Mecole Hardman, Justin Watson and Skyy Moore, wideout snaps may be difficult to come by for Toney. Getting him a look at running back could be a way to get Toney on the field a bit more, and it would be a way to get the ball in his hands quicker and closer to the line of scrimmage after he struggled mightily to come up with catches last season. The Chiefs lost Jerick McKinnon over the offseason and didn't do a whole lot to replace his speed and pass-catching ability at running back. The more Toney can do, the better chance he has at cracking Kansas City's roster. |
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Clyde Edwards-Helaire Clyde Edwards-Helaire Third through rotation in drills
Tue, Jul 23, 2024, 11:34 AM
Edwards-Helaire was the third running back up during the run period of Tuesday's practice for Kansas City, behind starter Isiah Pacheco and 2023 UDFA Deneric Prince, Pete Sweeney of ArrowheadPride.com reports.
Analysis: The AFC West powerhouse no longer has Jerick McKinnon on the roster and settled for undrafted rookies as their backfield additions this offseason, but that doesn't mean Edwards-Helaire is a lock for the No. 2 spot on the depth chart. Even if he does reprise that role, as many expect, CEH could end up limited to passing-down situations while another back serves as Pacheco's backup on early downs and in short-yardage situations. Kansas City re-signed Edwards-Helaire in March on a one-year, $1.7 million contract that includes $1.325 guaranteed -- considerably less than the average annual value on his rookie contract after the team selected him 32nd overall in the 2020 Draft. |
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Deneric Prince Deneric Prince Rotates in ahead of Edwards-Helaire
Tue, Jul 23, 2024, 10:59 AM
Prince was the second Kansas City running back to take a carry during Tuesday's run period, behind only Isiah Pacheco, Pete Sweeney of ArrowheadPride.com reports.
Analysis: Prince spent most of 2023 on the team's practice squad after going undrafted in the spring, with his two regular-season appearances yielding 15 snaps on special teams. He has another shot to earn a backup role, as the defending Super Bowl champions didn't do much to reinforce their backfield behind Pacheco this offseason, merely re-signing Clyde Edwards-Helaire and bringing in more undrafted rookies. Prince probably isn't ahead of Edwards-Helaire on the depth chart but might be viewed as a better fit for early downs and/or short-yardage situations if Pacheco were to miss time with an injury. |
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Rashee Rice Rashee Rice Still no word on league discipline
Mon, Jul 22, 2024, 11:29 AM
Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said Monday the team hasn't yet held any discussions with the NFL over a possible suspension for Rice, Matt Derrick of ChiefsDigest.com reports.
Analysis: Rice is presumably facing a multi-game suspension for his involvement in a high-speed, six-car crash in April in which he was charged with aggravated assault, collision involving serious bodily injury and collision involving injury. He was also allegedly involved in an assault in a nightclub in May, per Toluwani Osibamowo of KCUR.org. Though no charges were filed in the latter incident, Rice could still be subject to related league discipline. The second-year wideout was a full participant in offseason activities for the Chiefs, and given that the NFL typically allows legal processes to play out in full before assigning punishments, clarity on Rice's potential suspension may not be immediately forthcoming. |
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Xavier Worthy Xavier Worthy Dealing with illness
Mon, Jul 22, 2024, 11:10 AM
Worthy (illness) is not practicing Monday, Sam McDowell of The Kansas City Star reports.
Analysis: Worthy missed OTAs and mandatory minicamp due to a hamstring injury before retaking the practice field last week, and though he's now dealing with an illness, there's no indication the rookie first-round pick will be sidelined long. He got off to a quick start, connecting with quarterback Patrick Mahomes for a deep touchdown during Sunday's practice. Once he's back on the field, Worthy will resume competing for first-team reps alongside Rashee Rice and Marquise Brown. |
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Clyde Edwards-Helaire Clyde Edwards-Helaire Displays clean bill of health
Sun, Jul 21, 2024, 10:08 PM
Edwards-Helaire passed his physical Sunday after the Chiefs placed him on the active/non-football illness list Saturday, Matt Derrick of ChiefsDigest.com reports.
Analysis: Veterans reported to Kansas City's training camp Saturday, and after showing up with some sort of ailment, Edwards-Helaire was able to join his teammates on the practice field one day later. He's thus slated to serve as the primary backup to starting running back Isiah Pacheco in the coming campaign, which amounted to 88 touches in 10 regular-season games in 2022 and 87 touches in 15 such contests last season. |
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Gerrit Prince Gerrit Prince Wearing walking boot
Fri, Jul 19, 2024, 11:36 AM
Prince (lower leg) is not practicing Friday and is wearing a walking boot, Matt Derrick of ChiefsDigest.com reports.
Analysis: Prince appears to be dealing with a lower-leg injury ahead of the start of training camp for veterans, but the Chiefs haven't opted to place him on a reserve list. That could indicate he'll be ready to participate in at least a limited fashion when camp officially kicks off Sunday. Prince is heading into his age-27 season and has yet to make his NFL debut since going undrafted out of UAB in 2022. |
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Xavier Worthy Xavier Worthy Back on practice field
Wed, Jul 17, 2024, 10:50 AM
Worthy (hamstring) participated in Wednesday's practice session, Adam Teicher of ESPN.com reports.
Analysis: Worthy appears to have recovered from the hamstring injury that kept him sidelined throughout OTAs and mandatory minicamp, and though he missed a few plays Wednesday due to a hand issue, he was back on the field and catching passes from Ian Book by the end of the session. Per Matt McMullen of the Chiefs' official site, the team is currently hosting a "pre-camp" introduction for quarterbacks and rookies, which includes three practices before training camp officially kicks off Sunday. Patrick Mahomes said Tuesday that Worthy won't be eased into action come camp, according to Matt Derrick of ChiefsDigest.com, so the rookie first-round pick should be competing for notable practice reps before long. |
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Kadarius Toney Kadarius Toney Pressure to impress in camp
Tue, Jul 9, 2024, 12:12 PM
Toney could land on the trade block before the start of the 2024 regular season unless he's able to log an impressive training camp, Nate Taylor of The Athletic reports.
Analysis: Toney missed training camp and the preseason last year due to injuries, then struggled with consistency and health before ending up as a healthy scratch for Kansas City's final stretch of games, including the team's Super Bowl win over the 49ers. Now, with the additions of Marquise Brown and rookie first-rounder Xavier Worthy, Toney could be staring down a make-or-break training camp. The same is true for 2022 second-round pick Skyy Moore, plus Mecole Hardman, Justyn Ross and Nikko Remigio, all of whom are competing for limited depth spots behind Brown, Worthy, Rashee Rice and Justin Watson. |
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Mecole Hardman Mecole Hardman Re-signs with Kansas City
Thu, Jun 6, 2024, 9:03 AM
Hardman is re-signing with the Chiefs on a one-year contract, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports.
Analysis: Hardman left Kansas City for the Jets last offseason but then was traded back to the Chiefs in mid-October after failing to earn a major role in New York. He had a 52-yard reception and a game-ending touchdown in the Super Bowl against San Francisco, making the most of his 19 snaps on offense. Hardman figures to work as a depth receiver again in 2024, and he might also get a chance to returns punts and/or kicks. |
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Hollywood Brown Hollywood Brown Looking good at OTAs
Wed, May 22, 2024, 1:32 PM
Coach Andy Reid said Wednesday that Brown (heel) and quarterback Patrick Mahomes have been developing chemistry early on during OTAs, Aaron Ladd of KSHB 41 News reports.
Analysis: Brown made the highlight play of Wednesday's session with a one-handed catch during 7-on-7 drills, per Matt McMullen of the Chiefs' official site, so it looks like he's put last season's heel injury behind him. Now heading into his age-27 season on a one-year, $7 million contract with the Chiefs, Brown is facing an intriguing fantasy opportunity if he can manage to separate himself from the pack in Kansas City's wide receiver corps, so it's encouraging to see him building some momentum early. Meanwhile, Rashee Rice appears likely to face a suspension at some point during the 2024 season, while Xavier Worth (hamstring) is currently sidelined and could miss a notable portion of OTAs. |
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Xavier Worthy Xavier Worthy Tweaks hammy during OTAs
Wed, May 22, 2024, 1:21 PM
Coach Andy Reid said Wednesday that Worthy tweaked his hamstring earlier during OTAs, Nate Taylor of The Athletic reports.
Analysis: Reid said that Worthy "was only out there for a day and a half" before suffering the injury. The Chiefs will hope that the rookie 28th overall pick is able to get back on the field without missing much time, as he's already going to have to skip some valuable reps to learn the offense and build chemistry with quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Hamstring injuries have the potential to linger or resurface, though, so Kansas City could be motivated to take a cautious approach. In the meantime, names like Justin Watson, Kadarius Toney, Skyy Moore and Justyn Ross could benefit from increased reps. |
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Hollywood Brown Marquise Brown Gets competition from draft
Wed, May 1, 2024, 1:41 PM
Brown (heel) and first-round pick Xavier Worthy are the main new faces in Kansas City's revamped receiving corps, Jacob Sloan of FOX 4 Kansas City reports.
Analysis: A lot has happened since Brown signed a one-year, $7 million contract in mid-March, starting with fellow Chiefs wideout Rashee Rice being involved in a hit-and-run accident that's led to criminal charges. Rice will likely face a suspension at some point, and his potential absence leaves Brown, Justin Watson and Kadarius Toney as the top veteran wide receivers. Worthy may be talented enough to jet to the front of that group, coming in as a first-round pick after setting the NFL Scouting Combine record with a 4.21-second 40-yard dash time. He'll be one of the few players in the league faster than Brown, albeit with similar questions about his size (5-foot-11, 165 pounds) and how that affects the rookie's transition to the NFL. As for Brown, there's been nothing reported this offseason on the heel injury that ended his 2023 season in Arizona after Week 15. He'll likely be available for offseason practices and is expected to line up with the first-team offense. |
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Travis Kelce Travis Kelce Inks two-year extension
Mon, Apr 29, 2024, 1:36 PM
Kelce and the Chiefs agreed to terms Monday on a two-year extension that makes him the highest-paid tight end in the NFL, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Analysis: The exact terms of Kelce's new extension have yet to be disclosed, but coming off another Super Bowl title and heading into his age-35 season, Kelce's pay rate will top his position. The four-time All-Pro had logged seven consecutive seasons with at least 1,000 receiving yards before being held to a 93-984-5 receiving line in 2023, but in Kansas City's four postseason contests he operated in prime form, scoring three touchdowns while never falling below 70 receiving yards. The Chiefs added veteran wideout Marquise Brown (heel) and rookie first-round pick Xavier Worthy this offseason, and both players are capable of taking the top off opposing defenses, which could open things up for Kelce during the 2024 campaign. Those additions may also foreshadow a more aggressive offensive game plan led by star quarterback Patrick Mahomes. |
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Kadarius Toney Kadarius Toney Still in team's plans
Tue, Apr 23, 2024, 10:41 AM
Kansas City is optimistic Toney will contribute in 2024, ESPN's Adam Teicher reports.
Analysis: GM Brett Veach recently referred to Toney as "probably our most talented wideout," and coach Andy Reid said the 25-year-old is "arguably one of the most talented guys on the team." The implication, supported by Veach's comments, is that Toney's lack of playing time last season was a product of his medical issues, starting with a meniscus injury during training camp. Of course, injuries have been a constant for the 2021 first-round pick, who has missed at least four games in each of his three pro seasons and also seen his snaps limited a number of other times, and Toney has never recorded more than six targets or 30 offensive snaps in his 23 total game with Kansas City between the regular season and postseason. An ongoing legal situation involving Rashee Rice could open the door for Toney to get more playing time at some point in 2024, with his YAC ability potentially making him a good fit to see a lot of the quick passes Rice hauled in as a rookie in 2023. Fantasy relevance seems like somewhat of a long shot nonetheless, especially after Toney was a healthy(ish) scratch for the team's Super Bowl win over San Francisco in February. |
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Skyy Moore Skyy Moore Needs to earn spot on roster
Tue, Apr 23, 2024, 10:32 AM
Moore isn't a lock to make the 2024 roster, according to ESPN's Adam Teicher.
Analysis: The 2022 second-round pick has averaged 1.4 catches for 16.5 yards through 30 regular-season games, mostly serving as Kansas City's fourth or fifth wide receiver. It won't be surprising if Moore ends up earning a depth job again, though his fate partially depends on how things play out with the 2024 NFL Draft, Rashee Rice's legal situation, and Kadarius Toney's health, among other factors. Rice and free-agent signing Marquise Brown figure to play a lot when available, though neither can exactly be called reliable. Even so, Moore's lack of playing time and production through two seasons suggests he's not the most likely beneficiary in the event things go south for one of the team's starters. Kansas City seems optimistic about Toney and Justin Watson and might devote an early draft pick to the position. |
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