At the outset of the 2025 NFL season opener in São Paulo, disaster struck early for the Kansas City Chiefs. On just the third offensive play, tight end Travis Kelce and wide receiver Xavier Worthy, running crossing routes, collided heavily. Worthy absorbed the full force of the impact, suffering what appeared to be a shoulder injury, and was visibly immobilized on the field.
Advertisement
He was later escorted off to the locker room and officially ruled out by the second quarter. Coach Andy Reid later confirmed the team would perform an MRI back in Kansas City to assess the injury’s severity.
Already thin at receiver, with Rashee Rice suspended and others unavailable, this injury dealt a major blow to the offense. While Travis’s collision with Worthy was completely accidental, his run-in with another Chiefs teammate was not.
While Patrick Mahomes opened the Chiefs’ season with an 11-yard scramble for a first down, momentum quickly stalled when right tackle Jawaan Taylor was flagged for holding on the very next play.
After another first down, JuJu Smith-Schuster hauled in a 7-yard reception to reach the Chargers’ 41-yard line, only for Taylor to be whistled again, this time for a false start.
Taylor’s struggles continued throughout the first half, as he racked up multiple false-starts and holding penalties. By then, teammate Travis Kelce had seen enough.
Travis Kelce got right in Jawaan Taylor's face after his second false start of the game. Woah. pic.twitter.com/iUwW5H17BO
— Arye Pulli (@AryePulliNFL) September 6, 2025
Caught on the YouTube broadcast, the veteran tight end delivered some fiery “tough love” with a brief head-butt to Taylor’s helmet, followed by some heated words, signaling his frustration.
The Chiefs’ season-opening loss to the Chargers was only made tougher by the early-but-serious blow to their aerial attack, and the emotional toll it took on veteran leaders.
