The Kansas City Chiefs kick off their 2024 season and start their quest for an unprecedented third straight Super Bowl championship against the Baltimore Ravens.
It is a rematch of last season’s AFC Championship Game, which the Chiefs won 17-10, and it could be a preview of this season’s AFC title game.
One key Chiefs player — Marquise “Hollywood” Brown — is not playing due to a shoulder injury, but NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport said the wide receiver could be back for Week 2 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
“If all goes well in practice, playing is considered to be, I would say, a strong possibility,” Rapoport said. “Maybe he needs another week after that, but sooner rather than later for Hollywood Brown.”
The Chiefs brought in Brown this offseason to upgrade their wide receiver room, which was young, unproven and underwhelming last season.
They somehow won it all with that group, but now Brown gives them a proven NFL contributor.
Though he isn’t a true Pro Bowl-level playmaker, he did have 51 catches for 574 yards and four touchdowns last season for the Arizona Cardinals, and in 2021, he surpassed the 1,000-yard mark for the Baltimore Ravens.
Brown played his first three seasons with the Ravens, which would’ve made the season opener even more intriguing had he been able to play.
The new Kansas City wide receiver room includes rookie Xavier Worthy, who set an NFL Scouting Combine record by running the 40-yard dash in 4.21 seconds, and the Chiefs are hoping he will be the heir apparent to Tyreek Hill, who was traded away two years ago.
The Chiefs also brought back JuJu Smith-Schuster, who was a key member of their 2022 team, when he posted 78 receptions, 933 yards and three touchdowns.
