After clinching the AFC West for the ninth consecutive year, the Kansas City Chiefs want to head into the 2025 NFL playoffs as the No. 1 seed in the AFC. And it looks like Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes are recovering a key weapon just in time to play the Houston Texans in Week 16.
According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, the Chiefs plan to activate wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown for Saturday’s game at Arrowhead, as long as he continues to respond well in practice.
The veteran wideout was one of the Chiefs’ biggest offseason acquisitions, with the 27-year-old joining the defending Super Bowl champions as a free agent. However, Reid and Mahomes couldn’t count on him in an official game yet.
Reid and Mahomes have yet to use Brown in 2024 NFL season
Brown suffered a sternoclavicular joint dislocation in the first game of preseason against the Jacksonville Jaguars, an injury that eventually forced him to undergo surgery and miss the start of the 2024 NFL season.
Reid hoped to count on the receiver earlier this year but his recovery took longer than expected, especially when the player had to go under the knife. But after so long, they finally seem to be finding the light at the end of the tunnel.
Brown was cleared to practice last week, and even though he was a limited participant on Friday, the game against the Cleveland Browns came a bit soon. But this time, he might be ready for the Texans fixture.
Chiefs free up roster spot: Will they use it for Brown?
In fact, the Chiefs seem to have already made room for the wideout by confirming the exit of a Super Bowl champion with Reid and Mahomes. With running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire’s release, the team has an open roster spot which could be used to activate Brown.
The Chiefs will welcome the Texans to Arrowhead on Saturday to have an extra day of rest before they play the Pittsburgh Steelers on Christmas Day on Wednesday. We’ll have to wait and see, but all signs are pointing towards Brown making his season debut against Houston.