The Kansas City Chiefs traveled all the way to Brazil for their Week 1 game against the Los Angeles Chargers, but even on a different continent, bad luck just keeps on seeming to find this team's wide receivers.
In the first quarter of Kansas City's 27-21 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Friday night, wide receiver Xavier Worthy ran into teammate Travis Kelce, a collision that apparently dislocated Worthy's shoulder. At this point, it's unclear exactly how long to expect Worthy to be sidelined, but most of the NFL injury-sphere has estimated that he'll be out at least three weeks — and that it could stretch longer depending on the severity of the injury.
That's, uhh, not great! The Chiefs are already without the suspended Rashee Rice, so losing Worthy really hurts the pass game. You can't really get away with just targeting Hollywood Brown 16 times per game like Patrick Mahomes did on Friday night.
Here are five potential options that the Chiefs could add while Worthy is healing from his shoulder injury.
Mecole Hardman
Let's just go ahead and get the most obvious option out of the way right now. The Chiefs seem to have a thing for ex-Chiefs, and Mecole Hardman is currently sitting around on the Packers practice squad. While he's far from the best option if we're talking about talent, his familiarity with Andy Reid's system makes him a top candidate to join the Chiefs while Worthy is out.
Hardman only caught 12 passes last season, but he showed he still has speed with his work as a punt returner. He's not going to change the course of this Chiefs season, but you could do worse as your third or fourth option. Hardman is the safe route for Kansas City, so if the Worthy injury lands him on the IR but with a return designation and he's trending toward being back sooner rather than later, this might end up being the easiest move.
Allen Robinson
Do the Chiefs want to sign Allen Robinson? No clue. But does Allen Robinson want the Chiefs to sign Allen Robinson? He does!
The issue with Robinson is that he's coming off a pretty terrible 2024 season with the Lions. While he appeared in 12 games, he finished the season with just three receptions. This would be, like, the ultimate reclamation project for Andy Reid, to the point where it might be too much of a reclamation project. It'd be like trying to build a house while one of your workers just keeps stealing the wood, so you try and you try, but the house never gets built.
But hey — Robinson was good at one time, and he's publicly advocating for K.C. to sign him. Considering an addition here would likely be a short-term thing only, maybe it'd be best to grab a guy who you know would be fine with that.
Odell Beckham Jr.
Does OBJ have enough left in the tank to contribute for the Chiefs? It's a good question. The former Giants star was a complete non-factor in 2024 with the Dolphins, but the Chiefs have a decent track record of betting on guys who are at their lowest and getting something out of them. JuJu Smith-Schuster, for example, looked like his career was dead in the water after the 2021 season, but he had a very good bounce-back year with K.C. in 2022.
Maybe Beckham just needs a chance to play with an elite quarterback. In 2021, he showed major improvement once he moved from the Browns to the Rams, and his 2023 numbers playing with Lamar Jackson in Baltimore were solid as well. Beckham isn't capable of making the kind of plays that made him a star with the Giants early in his career, but he can contribute in the right situation.
One concern with Beckham, though, is that I don't think K.C. makes this move if they expect Worthy back relatively soon. This is the kind of signing you make if the MRIs come back and the shoulder injury requires season-ending surgery.
Tyler Boyd
Tyler Boyd wasn't great in 2024. After spending the first eight years of his NFL career with the Bengals, he signed a one-year deal with the Titans, where he posted his worst numbers since 2017 and failed to find the end zone for the first time in his NFL career.
Maybe Boyd was just washed up, or maybe he simply landed in a really bad situation. The Titans were quarterbacked by Will Levis and Mason Rudolph last season, after all, which is a far cry from the talent that was throwing him the football in Cincinnati. Could the upgrade from the Levis/Rudolph duo to Mahomes be the spark Boyd needs to enjoy one more good season of NFL production?
Kendrick Bourne
Kendrick Bourne is far from the most exciting option, but he might end up being the most reliable one available. A surprise cut by the Patriots this offseason, Bourne hasn't topped 500 yards since 2021 but had been a solid depth piece for New England over the last few seasons. In 2023, he was on track for one of the best seasons of his career had it not been for a torn ACL in Week 8.
Bourne won't pop on the highlight reel like Worthy, but he's someone capable of doing the dirty work as a receiver. He's got some of the best hands in the league, finishing first among receivers last year in true catch rate. The Chiefs need someone steady who can catch the ball and move the chains, especially with Rice still out. Bourne should be under consideration for that reason.