The Kansas City Chiefs didn’t invest in wide receivers heavily this offseason. The team re-signed Tyquan Thornton to a modest contract, added nobody in free agency and waited until the fifth round to address the position in the draft.
The team is clearly betting on the development of the team’s young receivers to improve an offense that failed to meet expectations in 2025.
A few weeks ago, I looked at Rashee Rice’s 2025 season. Now, let’s review Xavier Worthy’s performance during the second year of
his NFL career.
What Went Well for Worthy
By the end of his rookie year, Worthy was becoming a prominent weapon for the Chiefs when they needed to use quick game to move the chains. Because of his shoulder injury, the Chiefs didn’t feature him as much as a short-yardage player, but he still provided value there in 2025. Worthy’s speed is a weapon in motion and if he can get the right angle, he can sprint for first downs.
Worthy had success on multiple endarounds throughout the season. Worthy isn’t the most creative runner and struggles to break tackles, but in open space, he can pick up yards in a flash. Having Kenneth Walker as a more dynamic run threat should open more space on these plays in 2026. Defenses will have to account for Walker in the backfield more, and should get Worthy more opportunities against an unbalanced defense.
A frustrating aspect of Worthy’s first two seasons is that the Chiefs haven’t consistently gotten him the ball downfield. Some of that is due to limitations in Worthy’s game, which I’ll dive into later. However, it’s not all on Worthy.
There are plenty of examples of Worthy easily creating separation with his speed and winning downfield, only for Patrick Mahomes to miss him. When Worthy can avoid contact and get a one-on-one against a defensive back in space, not many guys have the speed to stay with him. If Mahomes were more accurate downfield, that would’ve helped the Chiefs and Worthy out tremendously.
I’ve never been the highest on Worthy’s route running, but I came away more impressed after rewatching some games. Worthy will always have some limitations to how he runs routes at his size, but he shows more craft and change of pace than he used to. Worthy took a jump, creating separation at the top of the routes, using different paces and changes of direction. Compared to his rookie year and his last year at Texas, he took a jump here in 2025.
Where Worthy Struggled
A frustrating part of Worthy’s game is his lack of yards after catch. Despite his speed, he struggles to create extra yards in space. Worthy’s lack of strength means he can’t break tackles through contact, and he’s not the most agile or creative runner. He has a good “fly-by” move, where he’ll decelerate to let a defender fly by him, but he doesn’t have much wiggle in space. There’s only so much value in giving him the ball in space, which is disappointing with his speed.
Worthy plays many snaps on the outside, but I’ve never felt that was the best role for him. Worthy’s speed is less valuable on the line of scrimmage. He struggles to create separation on vertical route against longer cornerbacks that can easily get into his frame. Worthy also has a small catch radius because most cornerbacks are way bigger than he is. He has to create separation with his speed, and he’s not consistently good enough at setting up his release to win on the outside.
Similar to his teammate in Rice, Worthy is another player who struggles to win on his release vs. press coverage. It’s nothing specific Worthy isn’t doing, but it’s just so hard to win on a release when every cornerback you go up against is bigger and longer than you. Cornerbacks can just easily control Worthy’s frame, and Worthy doesn’t have the size to fight through that.
To be Worthy’s size and beat press, you need to be an unbelievable technician with route footwork, and Worthy isn’t that. Teams just don’t fear his speed on the outside, which limits the utility of his speed.
The Bottom Line
I’ve been lower on Worthy than most throughout his career, but after revisiting five of his games, the tape was better than I expected. He showed more as a route runner than I previously gave him credit for, especially downfield. There’s more nuance to his routes than there is in Rashee Rice’s game, and I do think his injury limited what the Chiefs were willing to ask him to do. They clearly avoided giving him many opportunities underneath where he would take contact.
That’s one of the tradeoffs with a 160-pound receiver, though. Staying healthy is harder when you’re regularly absorbing tackles. Despite his elite speed, Worthy also isn’t a particularly dangerous runner after the catch because he struggles to break tackles and lacks the creativity and agility of elite YAC threats. Comparing anyone to Tyreek Hill is unfair, but Hill’s ability to make defenders miss and break tackles in tight spaces was special. Worthy doesn’t have that element to his game.
I also think there’s more to tap into as a vertical weapon, but that requires better chemistry with Patrick Mahomes. Worthy gets open downfield often enough, yet Mahomes has missed him more than you’d expect. Improving that connection could lead to more explosive plays.
I continue to think the pairing of Rice and Worthy is an awkward fit. While Worthy can play outside, I don’t think it’s his ideal role, and Rice is also at his best in the slot, operating almost exclusively underneath. The Chiefs can’t maximize both players, and last year, Worthy had to play the less favorable role.
In a perfect world, Worthy would be a slot receiver who wins against zone coverage and creates explosive plays downfield. I think he can be a highly impactful player in that role. Until the Chiefs find better complementary receivers, however, it’s difficult to see him reaching his full potential.
