Kansas City Chiefs receiver will be featured in this season's offense, and it's do or die given his injury issues.
The Kansas City Chiefs receivers had an underwhelming season last year, so there’s a lot to prove going forward. Much of the focus has been on the legal and medical adventures of Rashee Rice, but Xavier Worthy is another receiver who’s facing immense pressure to perform this season, according to a report from Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk and multiple pieces that have appeared on ESPN.
The big question marks have been about the status of quarterback Patrick Mahomes in Week 1, but at this point it would be foolish to think Mahomes won’t be starting given the steady stream of positive updates that have been emerging.
But Mahomes didn’t play at all in preseason games, and that’s raised important questions about his timing after the long layoff. Worthy spoke to the media about it yesterday, and he doesn’t think it will be an issue.
“Me and Pat, we’ve kind of been working this offseason and obviously the timing and stuff you need to work on,” Worth said. “I feel like when it’s time to play, we’ll all be ready.”
They’ll have to be. The Denver Broncos are the Week 1 opponent, so pressure will be on the menu for Mahomes and company. If the timing is off, the Denver defense will make them pay.
Coach Andy Reid also spoke to the media yesterday, and he indicated that Mahomes will keep practicing in the days leading up to the opener, per Alper. The Chiefs have one more practice this week, then they’ll be full go again on Monday as they prepare in earnest for the Sept. 14 opener.
Worthy is also one of six players from the 2024 draft who will be playing to earn their fifth-year option this season, per Bill Barnwell of ESPN, as he flagged the receiver on his list of players with the most at stake this season.
As Barnwell noted, Worthy’s 2025 season was ruined by a shoulder injury, and the writer added that “it's unclear whether he is more than just a downfield burner.”
Much of that depends on his ability to stay on the field this year, and Dan Graziano of ESPN provided an update recently, writing that “a team source told [him] the surgeon said he was amazed Worthy had been able to come back and play at all.”
Coaches have said Worthy has looked “incredibly fast,” but so far he’s lived up to the predictions that he’d have trouble staying healthy given his slender frame, and he’ll have one last chance to show out in a major role this year.
