KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Chiefs will have newly acquired JuJu Smith-Schuster and Samaje Perine but not wide receiver Marquise Brown when they play the Ravens on Thursday night in an AFC title game rematch that opens the NFL season.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Friday that Smith-Schuster and Perine should be able to pick up enough of the playbook in time to help them out against Baltimore. Smith-Schuster was released by the Patriots last month and signed with the Chiefs on Monday, while Perine was released by the Broncos on Tuesday and was in Kansas City two days later.
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“I've just got to see with Perine with where he's at in picking everything up,” Reid said. “I'm not going to put him in a bad position obviously, but I think he's going to be fine. He's been here cranking things up, so we'll see how it goes.”
Brown, one of the Chiefs' marquee free-agent acquisitions, dislocated the sternoclavicular joint in his shoulder after making a catch in their preseason opener against Jacksonville. He got the shoulder set without surgery, though, helping to speed up the 4-to-6 week timeline for recovery and giving him a chance to play in Week 1.
But despite appearing on the practice field this week, Brown did not take part in any real work, and Reid decided to give him more time to recover. The fact that Chiefs general manager Brett Veach opted against putting him on short-term injured reserve this week when the roster was trimmed means they still expect him back in the next couple of weeks.
“He's at the point where he can laugh without pain,” Veach said this week, putting a positive spin on Brown's recovery.
Smith-Schuster helps to provide some depth at the position.
The veteran wide receiver played for the Chiefs two years ago, catching 78 passes for 933 yards and three touchdowns. It ended with a trip to the Super Bowl, where Smith-Schuster caught seven passes for 53 yards in a 38-35 win over the Eagles.
He signed a three-year, $25 million contract with New England, despite a history of knee issues that had kept some other teams from showing interest. He finished with just 29 catches for 260 yards and 11 games with the Patriots.
“We welcomed JuJu back with open arms,” Reid said. “He's healthy and ready to go. His knee — he had the knee before, but we were able to manage that. We'll continue to manage it. He looks great right now. He jumped right back in and had some practice with us. It's just a matter of getting banged around a bit after not being in camp.”
Second-year pro Rashee Rice and first-round pick Xavier Worthy will lead the Chiefs' wide receiver corps while Brown is out, and veterans Justin Watson, Skyy Moore and Mecole Hardman will join Smith-Schuster in sharing backup opportunities.
Reid declined to say who would be active on Thursday or whether he preferred a smaller rotation of wide receivers.
“The obvious one that is unknown is Worthy, having not played in an NFL game — a real NFL game. Just preseason games and practice,” Reid said. “But what I've seen is they have a pretty good thing going, and we'll just see how it goes when things are flying here fast and furious. But the other guys we have history with and know and trust.”
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