KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Hollywood Brown will make his injury-delayed Kansas City Chiefs debut Saturday against the Houston Texans at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
Brown, a sixth-year veteran wide receiver whose offseason signing was the centerpiece of the Chiefs’ planned offensive transformation, suffered a sternoclavicular dislocation on the first snap during the preseason at Jacksonville.
RELATED | ‘It’s about winning’: New Chiefs ‘happy’ to be in Kansas City
The joint was reduced, or popped back into place, at a hospital in Jacksonville before Brown returned to Kansas City, but it continued to slip out of place and ultimately required surgery.
Originally drafted 19th overall by Baltimore in 2019, Brown spent three seasons with the Ravens, where he averaged seven touchdowns per year, and two with Arizona. His best season came in 2021 with Baltimore when he set career-highs with 91 catches for 1,008 yards.
He will wear No. 5.
Brown’s production dipped during his two seasons with the Cardinals, but the Chiefs signed him in hopes that he could rekindle Patrick Mahomes’ waning downfield magic.
Kansas City also drafted speedy Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy in hopes of stretching defenses vertically.
Brown has been a full participant at practice the last two weeks and is active as the Chiefs hope to inch closer to the No. 1 overall seed in the AFC.
Kansas City has already clinched the AFC West title and Houston has already clinched the AFC South championship for the second consecutive season.
Slot cornerback Chamarri Conner (concussion) and left tackle D.J. Humphries (hamstring) headline the inactives, but both had previously been ruled out.
Conner suffered his injury when Cleveland running back Nick Chubb inadvertently kneed him in the head on a tackle. Chubb later left the game with a broken foot.
Humphries made his team debut Dec. 8 against the Los Angeles Chargers and started at left tackle before a fourth-quarter hamstring injury sent him to the sideline.
The Chiefs’ other inactives are defensive ends Joshua Uche and Malik Herring, guard C.J. Hanson, offensive tackle Ethan Driskell and defensive tackle Marlon Tuipulotu.
Texans linebacker Christian Harris (ankle) — the only player to carry an injury designation into the game for either team, according to the final injury report — will play.
Houston previously ruled out defensive tackle Foley Fatukasi (ankle), wide receiver John Metchie III (shoulder), center Juice Scruggs (foot) and tight end Cade Stover (illness).
All four are inactive along with linebacker Devin White, defensive end Jerry Hughes and guard Nick Broeker.
—
