UPDATE: The move is now official, and Kansas City has also opened up the 21-day practice window for K Harrison Butker, making him a candidate to return in time for Christmas Day against the Steelers. The team announced the moves today via Twitter.
The Kansas City Chiefs are opening the practice window for WR Hollywood Brown today, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reports.
That could mean that Brown returns in time for the Chiefs’ matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Christmas Day in Week 17, and Breer added that the target return for Brown is Week 17 or Week 18.
Brown was signed by Kansas City this offseason but has yet to play a regular-season game after suffering a sternoclavicular shoulder joint injury during the preseason. The Chiefs have still gotten off to a 12-1 start without him, but he would be a huge asset for the team’s passing attack. Rashee Rice was lost for the season, and while Kansas City did acquire WR DeAndre Hopkins, a speedy, big-play weapon like Brown would help open up its offense, especially with a similar player in rookie Xavier Worthy.
Given that Kansas City has the same three-game, 11-day stretch that the Steelers do, it might be tough to get him back up to speed in time for Week 17 with multiple short weeks during that span. The Chiefs might opt to wait until Week 18 when they’ll have a mini bye following the Christmas Day game before playing Brown. But if the game against the Steelers winds up having implications for the No. 1 seed, they may look to get him back in time to be at full strength against Pittsburgh.
Even if he does return his involvement and snaps might be limited, but he’s someone else that Pittsburgh would have to account for, and in the larger scheme of things, he’s another threat for the top team in the AFC as the Chiefs look to make it three straight Super Bowl wins. If Brown can get back to full speed by the postseason, then Kansas City becomes a bit more dangerous for the Steelers and the rest of the conference as they attempt to knock the Chiefs off their throne.
