Report: Chiefs WR Marquise 'Hollywood' Brown Placed on Injured Reserve, Lengthy Absence Likely

After weeks of recovery, Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Marquise "Hollywood" Brown will reportedly need surgery and will be placed on the injured reserve list.

Jul 26, 2024; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown (5) walks down the hill from the locker room to the fields during training camp at Missouri Western State University. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images / Denny Medley-Imagn Images

After weeks of rehabilitation and recovery, the Kansas City Chiefs have gotten bad news regarding the health of wide receiver Marquise "Hollywood" Brown.

After suffering a sternoclavicular joint dislocation on the first offensive play of the Chiefs' preseason in Jacksonville, Brown's timeline for recovery was compared to Tyreek Hill's path back from the same injury in 2019, which would have seen Brown return to the field in Week 2 or 3. Now, Brown is reportedly being placed on the injured reserve list, knocking him out for a minimum of four games, with an even longer absence appearing likely.

Jordan Schultz was the first to report details on Twitter/X:

"The #Chiefs are placing WR Marquise "Hollywood" Brown on IR, and he will undergo surgery to repair his dislocated SC joint," Schultz wrote. "After multiple imaging studies, it was determined that, although Hollywood felt better, his injury was not healing correctly. Without corrective surgery, he would risk a more serious long-term injury. The surgery is scheduled for Monday with Dr. Peter Millett in Vail, CO, and the Chiefs will monitor his rehab progress throughout the season."

Schultz's framing of how the Chiefs will monitor Brown "throughout the season" certainly indicates a longer recovery following his upcoming surgery, putting his status for the rest of the season in doubt.

Soren Petro posted on Twitter/X that he's hearing that "Hollywood Brown will be out months and not weeks. The timeline looks more like 3 months than just the minimum 4 week stay on the IR."

Matt Verderame reported that "Brown will miss a majority of the regular season."

James Palmer later added that "there really isn't any timeline at this point for a return. There is a real concern Brown could miss the season per sources."

Later in the day, Brown took to Twitter/X to comment on his status:

Disappointed , frustrated, and Sad was the first wave of emotions once I realized I would need surgery but that only lasted a day or so because Of my Faith in God. knowing that this to shall pass , no matter the great opportunity I had in front of me. It’s not over and that’s not the path God wanted for me and I’m perfectly fine with that now .
I feel it’s my duty to let everyone know out there no matter if things are going good or not going the way you want it to, never wary from your faith but to lean and trust into God no matter the situation…With that being said let’s enjoy some great football !!
Let’s go Chiefs!! See yall Soon

Disappointed , frustrated, and Sad was the first wave of emotions once I realized I would need surgery but that only lasted a day or so because Of my Faith in God. 🙏🏿 knowing that this to shall pass , no matter the great opportunity I had in front of me. It’s not over and that’s…

— Hollywood Brown (@Primetime_jet) September 13, 2024

On Wednesday, head coach Andy Reid said he wouldn't rule Brown out for Sunday's game against the Bengals, but now Reid's explanation of the challenges of sternoclavicular joint injuries carries more weight. Here's how Reid compared Brown and Hill's similar injuries on Wednesday:

"They all set a little different," Reid said. "It's something that has to move to get back into place. They all set just a little different and heal there, from what I understand – I'm not a physician by any means. They're all just a bit different. I mean, you're talking just centimeters of it being off can be a problem. You want to make sure those things are healed in and that they're actually in the right spot. We're having him see different people that are experts at that. I don't think there's a ton of data on it, especially in our field here in football. That's kind of what's going on, but as far as working hard, he feels good, he feels like he's in a pretty good spot. It's not him. He would've been out there the last couple of weeks if he had a choice. Wouldn't have been the best decision he made, but you've got to trust the doctors here."

In the absence of Brown in KC's Week 1 win over the Baltimore Ravens, the Chiefs leaned heavily on Rashee Rice (seven catches, 103 yards) and rookie Xavier Worthy (two catches, 47 yards and a touchdown, plus a 21-yard touchdown run), with Rice leading KC receivers by playing 78% of the Chiefs' offensive snaps, leaving Worthy to take the second-most (63%). There was a clear drop-off from Rice and Worthy to Justin Watson (52% of snaps), JuJu Smith-Schuster (22%), and Skyy Moore (19%), with Mecole Hardman only seeing the field on special teams.

Without Brown, Worthy should continue to get a heavy workload while the Chiefs consider how to retool the offense from their preseason plans. With strong starts from Rice and Worthy while tight ends Travis Kelce and Noah Gray remain major players in the passing game, the Chiefs' offense should continue to produce around Patrick Mahomes, but KC's one-time No. 1 wide receiver now projects to miss significant time in 2024.

Read More: Chiefs vs. Bengals Preview: How KC Can Beat Cincinnati in Week 2