The Pittsburgh Steelers have an intimidating schedule ahead of them to finish out the 2024 season. They will play the Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Ravens, and Kansas City Chiefs all within a 10-day. After that, they will face the highly potent offense of the Cincinnati Bengals to finish off the regular season. This stretch of games is crucial for playoff positioning, and Pittsburgh can prove itself as a true Super Bowl contender if it can topple some of these juggernauts on the schedule.
Pittsburgh's contest with the Chiefs on Christmas Day will be a true measuring-stick game. The Steelers will be able to see how they measure up against the team that won the Super Bowl in each of the last two seasons, and seems poised to complete a three-peat. The Chiefs have looked beatable throughout the 2024 season, but unfortunately for the Steelers, the Chiefs might be getting an offensive weapon back before they travel to Pittsburgh. It was announced on Friday that the Chiefs have officially opened up the 21-day practice window for wide receiver Marquise "Hollywood" Brown.
Brown signed with the Chiefs during the 2024 offseason, but he has not appeared in a game yet for Kansas City. The wide receiver suffered a sternoclavicular joint injury during the preseason, which has kept him out up until this point. This injury was considered very serious as the joint is a crucial part of the shoulder that allows the arm to operate normally.
Brown hasn't been officially activated yet, but the Chiefs will see him return to practice. The organization will have until January 4th to activate the wide receiver, which is one day before their final game of the regular season. Brown was cleared by medical staff to return to football activities, so the only thing holding him back from getting on the field is his conditioning and overall football shape. The Chiefs may want to save him for the playoffs and wait till the final possible day to activate him, but they could also activate him soon to get him acclimated to the offense.
Wide receiver has been a weak spot for Kansas City ever since the organization traded Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins, which is a big reason they targeted Brown during free agency. The wide receiver is a speedy type of player with great route-running abilities, and he should be able to fit right in with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs' offense. It's a mystery when he will be activated, but there is a good chance Brown is on the field at Acrisure Stadium on Christmas Day.
Steelers Are Fairly Familiar With Hollywood Brown
Brown began his career with the Ravens after being drafted there in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Brown played in Baltimore for three seasons, which were certainly the best years of his career. He caught over 90 passes for over 1,000 yards and six touchdowns during the 2021 season, which was his last season with the Ravens before being traded to the Arizona Cardinals. Brown was a serviceable receiver in Arizona, but he left to join the Chiefs during the 2024 offseason.
The Steelers are familiar with Brown since he used to play in the AFC North. Brown has played in seven games against Pittsburgh, and he has caught 18 passes for 207 yards and three touchdowns. The Steelers have done pretty well defending against Brown, as he has averaged just under 30 yards per game against the Steelers. It will be a different story if he is catching passes from Mahomes on Christmas Day, but hopefully the Steelers can find a way to contain the newly healthy receiver.
