The Kansas City Chiefs' selection of Xavier Worthy in the 2024 NFL Draft sparked giddy reactions, most notably from pop star Taylor Swift. The speedy wideout was supposed to transform the K.C. offense, providing an element it lacked following the Tyreek Hill trade.
The hype outpaced the production.
Worthy earned a solid rookie campaign, leading the receiver group with 638 yards on 59 catches with six touchdowns. However, a Year 2 leap never materialized after a shoulder injury three snaps into the 2025 campaign. He earned 532 yards and one score in 14 games.
"I'd definitely say that's not a true indication of what I am," he said Thursday of last season, via the . "I was limited in certain things. I want to come back out here and show my ability and what I can do."
Worthy's second-year struggles epitomized the unit's ineffectiveness. No K.C. WR hit the 600-yard mark last season, as the offense struggled to move the pigskin consistently even before Patrick Mahomes went down with injury. The collection of Worthy, Hollywood Brown, Rashee Rice, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Tyquan Thornton was supposed to finally provide a diverse skill set that would unlock a stymied passing game. They did not.
"We didn't do what we needed to do last year," Worthy said.
The early-season shoulder injury lingered for the speedster, who never felt 100% -- it showed. His route tree never blossomed, and at times it felt like he was running the same route on repeat.
Despite last year's struggles, the Chiefs made no significant upgrade to the position. Brown and Smith-Schuster are gone, with fifth-rounder Cyrus Allen the most notable addition. K.C. is counting heavily on an improved running game with Kenneth Walker III and improvement from Worthy, Rice and Thornton to get the offense back on track.
"Obviously I know the kind of player I can be," Worthy said. "The things I can do on the field and what I can bring to the team."
He knows. Now he needs to show.
