The Kansas City Chiefs hope to pick up a win going into Week 6.
Fans hope their upcoming game against the Detroit Lions won’t repeat the woes they faced against the Jaguars.
But how much hope can you cling to if a key player is banged up? I am talking about wide receiver Xavier Worthy.

Kansas City might have to face the Lions without him. He is on the injury report due to his shoulder issues—an injury he suffered after a collision with teammate Travis Kelce in Week 1. He is also dealing with an ankle issue, which flared up, and that’s the same injury that caused him to be designated as questionable against Jacksonville.

Owing to the shoulder and ankle damage, the wideout missed Thursday’s practice ahead of the Chiefs’ game against the Lions on Sunday Night Football.

Yes, he played through it all in Week 5, but currently, it is unclear if he will do the same for Week 6.

If he doesn’t play, it’ll be a loss for his team. After all, he is one of the biggest play-making threats on the team. Since Detroit’s secondary is vulnerable to big plays, he would make an impact if he suits up. But not having him on the field will naturally put pressure on others: wide receivers Hollywood Brown, Tyquan Thornton, and JuJu Smith-Schuster.

But here’s the thing: The Chiefs’ struggles without Rashee Rice and Worthy are evident. Despite the resurgence of Tyquan Thornton, who’s leading the team’s receiving corps with 272 receiving yards, the Chiefs have dropped below .500. Rice is expected to return from his suspension in Week 7 against the Las Vegas Raiders at Arrowhead Stadium.

That being said, the Chiefs might want to be careful with Worthy. They are on a short week after playing against the Jaguars on Monday, and so, the team might want Worthy rested and fresh for the other games. Plus, the player already missed some time due to his injuries, and Kansas City might not want to risk it becoming a nagging concern.

Before Week 4, HC Andy Reid explained that the team is being cautious with Worthy’s injury to avoid aggravating it further.

“We’re not going to put him out there if he’s not healthy enough,” coach Reid shared. “To go play where he feels comfortable. The other team is going to play hard no matter what, whether you have a shoulder (injury) or not, they’re going to try to knock you around a little bit.”

So while we will have to wait for further updates about Worthy, the good news is that nearly all other players were full participants and appeared healthy ahead of the Week 6 game. Notable names on the list included cornerback Kristian Fulton, defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott, tackle Jawaan Taylor, and running back Kareem Hunt.

The same can’t be said for the Lions.

The Detroit Lions have major injury concerns

Unlike the Chiefs, there are five players on the Lions’ injury report from Thursday’s practice who did not participate. One of them was cornerback Terrion Arnold (shoulder). While he saw playing time against the Cincinnati Bengals, recording two passes defended, he had to leave the game because of what looked like a relapse of the injury.

But the good news is his injury has been deemed not as bad as feared—a welcome relief for head coach Dan Campbell, who initially thought the CB would be out for a long time.

LB Zach Cunningham (hamstring), T Taylor Decker (shoulder), S Kerby Joseph (knee), and RB Sione Vaki (groin) also did not practice on Thursday.

Additionally, DB Avonte Maddox and offensive lineman Giovanni Manu saw limited action due to hamstring and knee injuries, respectively. DB Brian Branch (ankle) and wideout Kalif Raymond (neck) also participated in limited capacity.

The two teams will face each other on October 12 at Arrowhead Stadium. Who do you think will win?