Marquise Brown arrived in Kansas City with much fanfare after signing a one-year deal with the Chiefs in the offseason. Hailed by many as Patrick Mahomes' new WR1, Brown had seemingly unlimited upside, both in real life and fantasy.
Smash cut to the first play of Week 1 of the preseason: Brown is already dealing with a shoulder injury that could cost him regular season playing time.
Here's the latest on Brown's shoulder issue, including an update from head coach Andy Reid, as well as how Brown's injury affects not only his own fantasy value but also the rest of Kansas City's pass-catchers.
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Marquise Brown injury update: 'Hollywood' hurts shoulder vs. Jaguars
On the Chiefs' first play after receiving the opening kick, Patrick Mahomes hit Brown on an 11-yard crossing pattern. Brown was quickly and violently thrown to the turf by Jaguars' CB Montaric Brown.
He was immediately tended to, holding his right shoulder while going to the sidelines in obvious pain. Brown didn't play the rest of the game, which wasn't a surprise considering it was the preseason, but after the contest, coach Andy Reid delivered some sobering news, telling reporters Brown suffered a sternoclavicular joint dislocation, an injury that Tyreek Hill suffered in 2019 while in Kansas City.
"As far as the injuries go, Hollywood Brown has that same thing that Tyreek [Hill] had down here, actually," Reid said. "Sternoclavicular post dislocation. They've taken him to the hospital. They'll check him out, and they're working on that as we speak. I think he'll miss some time...We'll know more later on here."
The notoriously tough Hill missed four games with the injury at the time.
What is a sternoclavicular joint dislocation?
Chiefs SI reporter Jordan Foote posted a screenshot on X about the Hill injury from four years ago. In it, a sternoclavicular joint dislocation is described as your "clavicle com[ing] into your sternum."
It can happen to either the posterior or anterior part of the joint, with the posterior being the more serious variety. Based on Reid describing Brown's injury as a "sternoclavicular post dislocation," we can assume it was the posterior.
While sternoclavicular joint dislocations are rare and represent just "3% of shoulder dislocations," they can be managed non-surgically as long as they are promptly identified and kept stable.
Will Marquise Brown miss the start of the regular season?
Reid acknowledged that Brown will potentially miss some time, likely referring to the regular season.
If Hill's four missed games in 2019 are any indicator, Brown will have to really push to be ready for Kansas City's Sept. 5 opener vs. the Ravens.
Even though an AFC Championship rematch with the Ravens is a big game — both in general and in terms of potential playoff seeding — it's unlikely the Chiefs will press their top wide receiver to get on the field before he's 100 percent. The potential risk of a setback is not worth the reward of winning one game that they could just as easily win without him.
Kansas City proved this last season but keeping Travis Kelce out of the Week 1 opener vs. Detroit because of a knee injury. Detroit won the game, but things turned out just fine for the Chiefs in the long run.
Marquise Brown's fantasy outlook 2024
According to FantasyPros, Brown had an ADP of 80 overall, or WR36, in early drafts. That's somewhat low given his ceiling as one of Patrick Mahomes' top wide receivers, but that's not a position that has been overly profitable for anyone not named Tyreek Hill, especially with Travis Kelce still Kansas City's No. 1 overall receiving option.
With the injury, expect Brown to lose a few spots in overall ADP, but with an expected return in Week 2 or 3 (barring a setback), Hollywood's overall season-long outlook doesn't change much. He's slightly riskier, but his potential value still outweighs the risk of drafting him in the eighth round or later in 12-team leagues.
If anything, Brown becomes a sleeper now, especially if you draft him as your flex or WR4.
Chiefs WR depth chart
- Marquise Brown*
- Rashee Rice*
Xavier Worthy* - Skyy Moore
- Justin Watson
- Mecole Hardman
- Kadarius Toney
- Justyn Ross
* projected starters
After Brown exited in Week 1 vs. Jacksonville, Kansas City spread the ball evenly to its receivers. Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, and Skyy Moore all failed to record a catch in limited action, though all three figure to see more targets in the regular season if Brown misses time.
Rice is facing potential discipline from the NFL for off-field issues in the offseason, so Kansas City could go into Week 1 with Worthy, Moore, and Justin Watson or Mecole Hardman in its starting lineup. Kadarius Toney is also in the mix.
Worthy likely benefits the most from this injury for fantasy purposes, but any gains will be short-lived with Brown likely expected back in Week 2 or 3.