Arrowhead Pride
On Sunday, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport confirmed that Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy suffered more than just a shoulder dislocation in the team’s season-opening loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. According to Rapoport, Worthy sustained a fully torn labrum during the game.
In my injury analysis published last Tuesday, I identified a torn labrum as a likely outcome from the shoulder dislocation Worthy suffered in Week 1. These often create a shearing force on the labrum, making such an injury highly probable.
The labrum is a thick rim of cartilage that helps stabilize the shoulder joint. It deepens the glenoid fossa of the scapula, where the humerus sits to form the ball-and-socket structure of the shoulder. The type of tear Worthy most likely sustained is a SLAP tear (superior labrum anterior to posterior), which affects the upper portion of the labrum from front to back.
The injury occurred when Worthy was hit hard on the front of his shoulder by tight end Travis Kelce and then landed on the opposite side. This impact likely caused the shoulder to dislocate in an anterior-to-posterior direction, resulting in the labrum tearing along that same path.
Labrum tears can result in shoulder instability, pain, reduced range of motion, diminished strength and clicking or catching sensations within the joint. They also carry an increased risk of re-injury following a shoulder dislocation — something the Chiefs’ medical staff will be closely monitoring throughout the season.
According to Rapoport’s information, there is optimism that Worthy could return to the lineup in Week 3 against the New York Giants, wearing a shoulder harness for added protection and stability. Worthy participated in limited practice work last week, wearing a brace and extra padding beneath his shoulder pads. Despite the injury, he showed encouraging signs — at one point, making a one-handed, over-the-head catch with the injured shoulder.
This can give Chiefs’ fans some hope, as the offense thus far in 2025, could certainly use Worthy’s spark. Worthy would bring back the deep threat to the offense that the Chiefs promised in training camp.
Worthy would not be the first player to play through a torn labrum, as there is NFL precedent for playing through the pain and still being a strong contributor.
San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle revealed in 2020 that he had been playing with a torn labrum in his shoulder for at least two years. Despite the injury, Kittle earned Pro Bowl honors in both 2018 and 2019 and was named First-Team All-Pro in 2019. It is unclear when he originally sustained the injury, although on game days, he is often seen with a gray protective sleeve over his right shoulder.
Former NFL wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. reportedly played through the same injury for even longer. In 2021, he admitted he had competed with a torn labrum for a decade, dating back to his college career. During that time, he was a three-time Pro...
