5 Emergency WR Options Chiefs Could Turn to After Xavier Worthy Injury

Another season, another wide receiver headache for Kansas City.

The Chiefs opened their 2025 campaign on foreign soil in Brazil, but even a change of scenery couldn’t shake the cloud hovering over their receiving corps. In the first quarter of Friday night’s 27–21 loss to the Chargers, rookie wideout Xavier Worthy collided awkwardly with Travis Kelce and walked away with what’s been reported as a dislocated shoulder.

Timetables are murky at this point, but the early word from the injury mill suggests he’ll miss at least three weeks, with the possibility of a longer absence depending on how severe the damage turns out to be.

For a team already missing Rashee Rice to suspension, that’s a gut punch. Patrick Mahomes can’t survive on 16 Hollywood Brown targets a game. Kansas City needs reinforcements, and quickly. Here are five potential stopgap options while Worthy rehabs.

Mecole Hardman

Let’s start with the obvious: Mecole Hardman is sitting on Green Bay’s practice squad, and Kansas City has a long history of reuniting with former players. He’s not a needle-mover at this stage Hardman caught just 12 passes last year but his knowledge of Andy Reid’s system makes him a logical candidate. His speed is still intact, as evidenced by his work as a returner, and he’s a low-risk Band-Aid if the team expects Worthy back sooner rather than later.

Allen Robinson

This one feels more like a plea from the player than an active pursuit from the team. Robinson has made it clear he’d love to join Kansas City. The problem: he’s coming off a disastrous 2024 with Detroit, managing only three receptions in 12 games. That’s not just a slump it’s a cliff. Signing him would be the definition of a reclamation project, maybe even too big a swing. Still, he was once a highly productive receiver, and if the Chiefs are only looking for a short-term patch, Robinson’s willingness might count for something.

Odell Beckham Jr.

The question with OBJ isn’t about name value it’s whether he has anything left. His 2024 stint with Miami was forgettable, but Kansas City has a track record of reviving fading stars (see: JuJu Smith-Schuster in 2022). Beckham has shown in the past that a change of scenery and a quarterback upgrade can spark his game, as we saw with his move from Cleveland to Los Angeles and again with Lamar Jackson in Baltimore. He’s not the acrobat from his Giants days, but in the right role he could still produce. Realistically, though, this kind of signing probably only happens if Worthy’s injury turns out to be season-ending.

Tyler Boyd

After eight steady years in Cincinnati, Boyd’s move to Tennessee last season was a dud. He failed to score a touchdown and posted his weakest stat line since 2017. Was that a sign of decline, or simply the product of catching passes from Will Levis and Mason Rudolph? If it’s the latter, Mahomes could offer the career jolt Boyd needs for one last productive run. He’s not flashy, but he’s a proven veteran who knows how to work the slot.

Kendrick Bourne

Bourne isn’t the splashiest name on this list, but he may be the most practical. Cut by New England this offseason, he was quietly one of the league’s most reliable possession receivers before a torn ACL ended his 2023 campaign. His true catch rate ranked first among wideouts last year, and that kind of steadiness is exactly what Kansas City’s offense could use while it waits on Rice and Worthy. Bourne won’t rack up highlights, but he’ll keep the chains moving.