Andy Reid gives the latest on the Chiefs wide receiver

The time is approaching for several long-term injuries to heal for the Kansas City Chiefs. Although it has been frustrating to play without them, the truth is that the team will also feel the injection of fresh energy when a few key players start to return from injury in the second half of the season.

The Chiefs already got wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster back in Week 11 after he missed nearly a month with a hamstring injury. Several players could be back as soon as the team’s Week 12 contest against the Carolina Panthers. More importantly, head coach Andy Reid had some good news about another wide receiver who was originally thought to be out for the year.

Marquise “Hollywood” Brown was signed this offseason to a one-year deal to come in and provide a WR1 alongside Xavier Worthy in an overhaul of the Chiefs’ wide receiver room. Brown saw a portion of minicamp and training camp throughout the spring and summer as a veteran leader who developed a quick rapport with Patrick Mahomes during practice.

Unfortunately, Brown was sidelined on his very first catch of the preseason when he suffered a sternoclavicular injury in the team’s opening exhibition against the Jacksonville Jaguars. After initial reports had him out for a few weeks, the Chiefs eventually placed him on injured reserve, and from there it was thought he would be out for the year.

In recent weeks, the idea that Brown could return in ’24 has surfaced, and it’s possible that he could even be back until the end of the regular season. There’s no timeline in place, but Brown himself even posted a cryptic post insinuating as much.

On Wednesday, Reid met with the media and was asked what he saw in Brown’s progress after his injury. “(He’s) making very good progress. I can’t tell you a time when he’ll be back, but he’s another guy who’s excited to get back out here and get going. I appreciate the way he’s took it all in.”

Brown had 51 catches last year for 574 yards and 4 scores for the Arizona Cardinals. He has 28 touchdown receptions in five seasons in the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens and Cardinals.

Reid also had good news about the health of the current active roster, saying everyone was able to fully participate in practice. That bodes well for the sooner rather than later return of both running back Isiah Pacheco and pass rusher Charles Omenihu.

“Yeah, we’ll look at both of those two: Charles and (Pacheco). We’ll kind of go through practice and see where they’re at this week and then go from there. You’ll just have to see. It’s a day-by-day kind of thing, Reid said.

Pacheco has been out since Week 2 with a broken fibula, while Omenihu is rehabbing a torn ACL dating back to last season.