The Kansas City Chiefs face an injury crisis in July 2025 as receivers Brown, Moore, & Worthy are sidelined. How will Patrick Mahomes cope with a depleted offense?
StatPro NFL Beat Reporter
The intensity is boiling over at Chiefs training camp, but so are the concerns. A motivated Patrick Mahomes is leading high-energy drills, but he's doing so with a skeleton crew of receivers. The big story out of Wednesday's practice is a worrying one, as three of the team's top wideouts—Marquise 'Hollywood' Brown, Skyy Moore, and Xavier Worthy—were all held out with injuries, casting an early shadow over the team's offensive plans.
The loss fueled my offseason training. I spent more time 'in that dark place in the gym.'
Just when the offense needed all hands on deck, the training room started to fill up. Hollywood Brown (ankle) and Skyy Moore (hamstring) are sidelined, stirring up unpleasant memories of the injuries that hampered them last season. Compounding the issue is an injury to Xavier Worthy, who is dealing with a head injury/concussion after a stellar rookie campaign. With Rashee Rice already facing a suspension, the Chiefs' depth at receiver is being tested before the preseason even begins. Coaches say they're being cautious, but for a team looking to re-establish its offensive dominance, this is a troubling start.
While the receivers mend, the battle in the trenches is heating up—literally. After last season's Super Bowl protection issues, the offensive line is the camp's focal point. First-round pick Josh Simmons is getting his shot to lock down the starting tackle spot, but he's being pushed hard by veteran Jaylon Moore. The competition has been so fierce that it reportedly spilled over into fights during practice. While Coach Reid wants discipline, the raw intensity shows how high the stakes are for protecting the franchise quarterback.
The man they're all trying to protect is on a mission. Patrick Mahomes arrived at camp looking sharp and speaking with a renewed fire. He told CBS Sports that the sting of falling short of a threepeat drove him this offseason, saying he spent more time 'in that dark place in the gym.' That singular focus is palpable in St. Joe, with observers noting the high tempo and full-speed nature of Wednesday's practice. Even with his top targets out, Mahomes is setting a standard that the rest of the team is desperately trying to match.
The injury list unfortunately extends to the defensive side of the ball, with a host of defensive backs including Deion Bush and Christian Fulton also missing time. The secondary is looking particularly thin, which will be a situation to monitor. Amid the injury chaos, however, one camp question was definitively answered. The team officially named Matt Araiza the starting punter, ending a key position battle. It's a small piece of clarity and stability for a team grappling with uncertainty elsewhere on the roster.
The Chiefs get a much-needed day off on Thursday to rest and recover. All eyes will be on the injury report to see when the key receivers and defensive backs can return to the field. With the first preseason game against the Cardinals looming, the hope is that this rash of injuries is just a precautionary blip in an otherwise intense and focused camp. The fire is clearly there; now they just need the bodies to fight the battles ahead.
