The Kansas City Chiefs are opening the practice window for wide receiver Marquise Brown, who has been on the injured list since suffering a shoulder injury in the preseason opener. Brown is expected to have a 21-day window to practice before the Chiefs must decide whether to activate him, though his return could come sooner. He will not play in Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns, but could return as early as the following week’s matchup against the Houston Texans or on Christmas Day against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Brown is “getting close” to returning, but will need to receive clearance from doctors before being cleared to play. The team’s wide receiver corps has undergone significant changes since Brown’s injury, with the addition of veteran JuJu Smith-Schuster and the trade acquisition of three-time All-Pro Deandre Hopkins.
Brown underwent surgery to repair the sternoclavicular joint in his shoulder after dislocating it on the first play of the preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The injury was initially expected to keep him out for a few weeks, but the joint did not heal properly and required surgery.
The Chiefs have already clinched the AFC West and are in the running for the top seed and first-round bye. With Brown’s potential return, he could provide a boost to the team’s high-powered offense, which is led by quarterback Patrick Mahomes.