After getting an MRI done following his early exit from the Kansas City Chiefs' 27-21 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Friday, wide receiver Xavier Worthy was diagnosed with a separated shoulder.
Worthy took a heavy hit from teammate Travis Kelce, who has almost 100 pounds on him, as the two got mixed up and inadvertently collided on the team's first series of Friday's season opener.
It was reported that the 22-year-old wideout was seeking a second opinion on his prognosis, leaving the door open that he could play again this season.
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Given the typical recovery timeline for a separated shoulder, which ranges anywhere from 1-4 weeks for mild cases and 2-4 months for severe cases that require surgery, the Chiefs are likely hoping Worthy won't miss a significant part of the season, and head coach Andy Reid indicated as much while speaking to reporters on Monday.
"He's rehabbing and working his shoulder, and we'll just see where it goes," Reid said, via KSHB 41. "[He's taking it] day-by-day here, see where we end up."
Based on Reid's remarks, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport believes the plan is for Worthy to miss as little time as possible.
"#Chiefs coach Andy Reid describes Xavier Worthy as 'day-to-day' talking to reporters, an indication that the plan is to rehab and attempt to play with a brace -- rather than immediate surgery. Some good news initially," Rapoport tweeted.
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If Worthy does attempt to play with a shoulder brace, it's not known if he would be ready for this weekend's Super Bowl LIX rematch against the Philadelphia Eagles at Arrowhead Stadium or if the team will hold him out for a week or so to help him prepare to play through the pain.
With Rashee Rice out for five more games and rookie Jalen Royals still battling a knee injury, if Worthy can play against the Eagles, it'll be a big boost to the Chiefs' banged-up WR corps.
There's still a possibility Royals may be ready to go for the big Week 2 showdown.
"Jalen's done a good job with his rehab," Reid said. "We'll just see how that ends up this week. We've got a couple days here that we've had. Guys are making good progress with that, so we'll see how he rolls."
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