Chiefs’ Hollywood Brown made KC debut. These words motivated him through injury rehab
Kansas City Chiefs receiver Hollywood Brown can admit now that September’s news was crushing.
Brown, who’d signed with the Chiefs as a free agent this offseason, learned then that he’d need surgery to repair a shoulder injury from the preseason — a procedure that would keep him off the field for months.
On that day, though, Brown said doctors gave him “a little glimmer of a chance that I could be back for playoffs.”
And those words were all he needed.
“From that point on, I just went to work,” Brown said. “And here I am now.”
“Here,” on Saturday, was standing in front of his locker following a 27-19 home victory over the Houston Texans — an outing that doubled as his Chiefs regular-season debut.
After working months to return, Brown immediately showed KC what it’d missed without him. On 20 offensive snaps, he was targeted eight times, catching five passes for 45 yards.
“I knew I had a limited role this week — just trying to get me in, working in the offense,” Brown said. “So it felt good to get a few catches and make some plays.”
Brown felt so much like himself, in fact, that he tried to pull an in-game audible with Chiefs coach Andy Reid.
The Chiefs’ plan all week was to keep Brown on a snap limit Saturday while attempting to ease him back into the lineup.
That became tougher to follow as the game went on ... and Brown felt he had more to contribute.
“He loves playing,” Reid said after the game. “And he knew he was (feeling) well in there and just wanted more.”
Despite Brown’s best efforts to talk his way into more playing time, he was limited to 20 offensive snaps Saturday.
“After I got a few, I’m like, ‘Y’all just might as well play me,’” Brown said with a smile. “But they stuck to it (the plan), and I was glad to get a few in.”
The Chiefs certainly didn’t shy away from using Brown when he was out there.
His most significant play was early, as coaches trusted him to pick up a fourth-and-1 catch over the middle — a play call designed to go to him with tight end Travis Kelce providing some interference over the middle.
Brown was confident in his abilities on the 12-yard reception. He said the Chiefs knew that the Texans loved to use man coverage in those scenarios, and it was unlikely that a defender would be able to stay close to him on that route across the field.
It still didn’t go exactly as he’d hoped.
“I didn’t like how I ran after the catch, so I wasn’t too happy about it,” Brown said. “But I was happy I got the first down.”
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes certainly noticed a difference with Brown on the field. Mahomes complimented the sixth-year pro for his ability to beat man coverage, which he said should serve the Chiefs well the rest of the season.
“I thought he did a great job,” Mahomes said. “I missed him here and there on a couple throws, but I thought he was getting open.”
Mahomes showed early trust in his new weapon as well. According to Pro Football Focus, Brown was on the field for 16 pass plays and was targeted on eight of those snaps.
The math is pretty simple: Half the time Brown was in and the Chiefs threw the ball, it went in his direction.
“I feel like I could be an asset to the team, to my guys here with me,” Brown said. “So that’s just all I’m really trying to do.”
Brown felt plenty of emotions before Saturday’s kickoff.
On Friday, he tweeted, “Thank you Jesus” with a hands-praying emoji before his first action.
Then, on Saturday, he took in all the experiences he’d missed over the last few months. That included getting a loud ovation while running through the pregame tunnel, and even standing on the field for the national anthem.
“Everything about this game of football, when it’s taken away from you,” Brown said, “you appreciate a lot more.”
The best for him likely remains ahead.
KC, which has clinched a playoff berth, needs just one more win to secure the AFC’s No. 1 seed.
If the Chiefs make a deep postseason run, Brown plans to be a part of it — a thought that already motivated him over the last few weeks and months.
“I just know I’m in a good spot,” Brown said, “heading into this last little stretch.”
