Chiefs rookies Allen, Worthy injured at training camp
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- Cyrus Allen sustained a lower left leg injury during a pooch punt drill Saturday in St. Joseph, Mo., when the gunner collided with cornerback Kaiir Elam as both tried to catch the ball near the goal line; Allen stayed down with his helmet in the turf and was driven off in a cart, though ESPN's Adam Schefter reported later that tests revealed a shin bruise with "nothing torn or broken," a best-case result.
- Xavier Worthy left practice early Saturday with a shoulder injury after hauling in an impressive deep catch against two defenders and falling on his right shoulder near the end zone — the same shoulder that required offseason surgery after he injured it on the third snap of last season's opener against the Los Angeles Chargers in a collision with Travis Kelce.
- Allen, a fifth-round pick, had been one of training camp's top developments, leading all receivers in Friday's practice with five catches in projected starters' 11-on-11 reps and stunning onlookers with a leaping, outstretched one-handed grab of a Patrick Mahomes pass placed between three defenders.
- Special teams coordinator Dave Toub said Allen had climbed to the No. 4 receiver spot while also working as a gunner and returner, and defended placing rookies across all four special teams phases: "everybody starts as a four-phase guy" until they establish themselves as offensive or defensive starters.
- Coach Toub called the injury "unfortunate" after the drill, saying Allen "is really doing well on offense, and he's doing well for me too," putting himself in position to help the Chiefs this season.
Why it matters: Worthy's new shoulder injury hits the same right shoulder that required offseason surgery after last year's third snap, raising the stakes for a receiver the Chiefs count on as a starter heading into 2025. Allen's bruise diagnosis is the best-case outcome for a fifth-round rookie who had vaulted to the No. 4 receiver role and earned a spot on punt coverage within one week of camp, though any time lost still threatens the connection he was building with Mahomes.
