Chiefs’ Brown not practicing on Monday

By Jacob Meikel

Newly-acquired Chiefs wide receiver Hollywood Brown was not a participant in Monday’s practice in Kansas City, putting availability for Week 1 in doubt.

Brown is still working his way back from a shoulder injury he suffered on the very first play of the preseason in Jacksonville on Aug. 10. The injury Brown suffered was described as a sternoclavicular joint dislocation. Fortunately for Brown, head coach Andy Reid confirmed during training camp last month that despite Brown having to be taken to the hospital the same day he suffered the injury, it did not require surgery.

Brown was listed as the only player on the injury report not a full participant in practice.

In the time since Brown’s injury, the Chiefs have trimmed down their roster to the required 53-man roster ahead of Thursday’s regular season opener against the Baltimore Ravens. The team also brought in a familiar face ahead of Thursday’s AFC Championship game rematch by bringing back wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, who spoke to the media last Tuesday for the first time since returning to Kansas City. Smith-Schuster outlined his familiarity with the team as a he reason he decided to sign.

“Just being in this facility kind of makes your job a lot easier than going to somewhere new where you kinda got to learn everything pretty quickly,” Smith-Schuster said.

With Brown likely to be sidelined for Week 1, the team will turn to second year pass catcher Rashee Rice, first round rookie Xavier Worthy and other players that have been in the Chiefs system for at least two years such as Justin Watson, Skyy Moore and Mecole Hardman to fill in if Brown is officially ruled out later in the week.