Chiefs’ Xavier Worthy faces possible surgery after dislocated shoulder in season opener

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy may require surgery after suffering a dislocated shoulder in the team’s season-opening 27-21 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in São Paulo, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reported Sunday. Worthy is undergoing further testing and seeking additional medical opinions, with the club and player hoping for a return later this season if surgery can be avoided.

Worthy, 22, was injured on his third offensive snap when he collided with teammate Travis Kelce on a crossing route and did not return. The speedster, the 28th overall pick in the 2024 draft, left the game after the play and was later diagnosed with a confirmed shoulder dislocation, according to team and league reports.

Medical observers noted the manner of the hit — Kelce striking Worthy from the front — made a posterior dislocation a likely diagnosis. Physical therapist Tom Christ wrote on social media that a posterior dislocation would be consistent with the appearance of the injury and that one possible outlook is a nonoperative rehab with an average NFL return around three weeks; he also noted that surgery is sometimes required depending on damage to surrounding structures.

The Chiefs’ receiving group entered the season already depleted. Rashee Rice is serving a six-game suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct policy stemming from a high-speed crash in March 2024. Rice’s absence and Worthy’s sudden injury forced Kansas City to rely more heavily on veterans in the opener.

Without Rice and Worthy, Hollywood Brown caught 10 passes for 99 yards and JuJu Smith-Schuster had five receptions for 55 yards in the loss. Patrick Mahomes finished the game with 258 passing yards. Kelce finished with two receptions, one of which produced a 37-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. With Worthy sidelined, fourth-year receiver Tyquan Thornton is expected to see an expanded role beginning with the Chiefs’ Week 2 rematch against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Worthy recorded 59 receptions for 638 yards and six receiving touchdowns, plus three rushing scores, in 17 games as a rookie in 2024. He added three postseason touchdowns, including two late scores in Kansas City’s Super Bowl loss to the Eagles.

The timeline for Worthy’s return remains uncertain. The team is awaiting the results of additional imaging and specialist evaluations that will determine whether nonoperative rehabilitation is appropriate or if surgical intervention is necessary. Surgery could extend any recovery beyond typical nonoperative timelines and would alter Kansas City’s short-term roster planning at the position.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid and team medical staff did not immediately provide a timetable for Worthy’s return. The team resumes regular-season play with the rematch against the Eagles, and the Chiefs are expected to weigh roster and scheme adjustments if Worthy is sidelined for an extended period.

The injury adds to a broader concern for NFL teams about shoulder injuries to skill-position players early in the season; outcomes vary widely based on the exact structures involved. Kansas City’s immediate focus will be on diagnostic clarity and weighing second opinions before determining the next steps for Worthy and the receiver corps.