The Kansas City Chiefs were expected to fill the gap with a wide receiver after Xavier Worthy’s injury, but head coach Andy Reid had other plans. After a shaky preseason and a key injury ahead of Week 2, a surprise boost has arrived in the form of an undrafted rookie cornerback.

On Saturday, the Chiefs confirmed that rookie Kevin Knowles has been moved up from the practice squad to the active roster. His promotion comes just in time for Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles, a rematch of Super Bowl LIX, where the Eagles beat the Chiefs 40-22.

The 5’11”, 190-pound cornerback is expected to get a few snaps in special teams, but don’t be shocked if defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo sneaks him into a few coverage snaps too. And after a rather disappointing special teams display in Brazil, it’s no surprise that Chiefs’ head coach wants to get him in.

Knowles had a modest preseason on defense, finishing with four tackles across three games. But it was on special teams where he truly stood out. The rookie made two clean stops in coverage and blocked an extra-point attempt against the Chicago Bears on August 23. His impact was clear, and many believed the Chiefs should’ve included him on the final roster from the start.

Spagnuolo has already been impressed with Kevin Knowles, who’s been standing out since training camp. “I think Kevin has done a great job. I mean, he’s a quick Twitch guy, you know, free agent, so he didn’t know a lot about him coming in, but our scouts did a good job identifying guys like that, and I think he has found a little home at that nickel spot. He has done some really good things for us,” the defensive coordinator said back during the training camp.

Knowles isn’t the only undrafted rookie on the roster this week. Linebacker Cooper McDonald already earned his spot on the 53 after final cuts on Aug. 26.

So while the Chiefs seem covered on defense and special teams, Worthy’s absence still leaves a big question mark at wide receiver.

Andy Reid’s Chiefs short on wideouts as home opener looms

Just three plays into the opener against the Chargers in São Paulo on Sept. 5, Xavier Worthy banged shoulders with Travis Kelce on a short crossing route and was forced out with an injury.

The Chiefs fans were hoping they’d see the wide receiver suit up for their first home game. Well, that wishful thinking got them nowhere. The Chiefs confirmed that Xavier Worthy is out for the Eagles‘ game through a statement they posted on X.

And after Andy Reid’s decision to elevate Kevin Knowles to the active roster, the Chiefs will be rolling with just five active wideouts against Philly: Hollywood Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Tyquan Thornton, Nikko Remigio, and Jason Brownlee. If things get tight, RB Brashard Smith is versatile enough to line up at receiver.

The latest development in Xavier Worthy’s status came Friday, when he ditched the full compression sleeve he wore a day earlier and showed off a slick one-handed catch during the media viewing window.

After that limited practice, head coach Andy Reid told reporters, “I’d probably tell you it’s slim, but there’s still a chance to play, yeah,” when asked about Worthy’s availability for Sunday’s game. However, on Saturday, the team officially ruled the player out for the matchup against the Eagles.

His return doesn’t seem far off, but the Kansas City Chiefs will miss him against the Philadelphia Eagles. Dropping to 0-2 is a scenario they’ll want to avoid.