The Chiefs are finally getting the Xavier Worthy version they’ve been waiting for.
Kansas City made a point of featuring the receiver early in Sunday’s 22-6 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, and Worthy answered with his best outing of the season. He finished with seven catches for 73 yards, a performance the Chiefs badly needed with Tyquan Thornton and Rashee Rice sidelined by injuries.
The plan was obvious right from the start. Patrick Mahomes’ first passing attempt went to Worthy, and once Travis Kelce tweaked his ankle in the first quarter, Worthy’s involvement only grew. By the end of the day, he had caught five straight passes from Mahomes.
Worthy said, “it doesn’t get any better than that,” in a piece written by Nate Taylor of ESPN. He said that early burst gave him the confidence to keep pressing forward, and the way things unfolded against the Chargers could carry over into Sunday night’s matchup with the Seattle Seahawks.
Kansas City has spent years trying to tap into Worthy’s speed, but it hasn’t always been easy. Last season, a shoulder injury hit early and forced Andy Reid to adjust the route tree around him. Coming out of Texas, the concerns were familiar: Worthy is slender, and scouts wondered how he would handle contact if he was asked to work the middle.
Reid isn’t buying that concern. He called Worthy “tough” and “smart,” and noted that he can work shallow crosses as well as deep routes. Worthy’s hands have also held up, and Taylor pointed to expected stat metrics that back that up.
There’s still work to do between Worthy and Mahomes as the quarterback continues returning from knee surgery. Taylor cited a Week 1 play against the Denver Broncos in which Worthy ran past two defenders and expected a deep throw, only for Mahomes to throw to where Worthy would have been on an intermediate route, leading to an interception.
Worthy said it was a new play he wasn’t fully familiar with, and he described himself as still “building momemtum.” For now, his next goal is simple: his first 100-yard game. But he’ll take the breakout against the Chargers and the win that pushed the Chiefs to 5-0.
In Other News...
Chiefs Offense May Have Found Something Big In Chargers Win
A week after the offense looked like it needed a reset, the Chiefs came out of the win over the Chargers with a much different feel. The 22-6 result was built on a more balanced attack, with Kansas City adjusting to protect Patrick Mahomes and spread the ball around while injuries continue to shape the passing game. Kenneth Walker III gave the ground game real juice with 128 yards and two touchdowns, and Xavier Worthy kept his role growing with seven catches for 73 yards.
What stood out just as much was how the Chiefs were willing to lean on receivers who have not usually been central to the offense. Mahomes involved several less-utilized targets, giving the unit a broader footprint and a little more flexibility than it has shown at times this season. Noah Gray also chipped in with a notable receiving line, and for a team trying to find its best version while pieces are missing, those kinds of contributions can matter as much as the final score. [Read more 🡒]
Chiefs Are Backing Harrison Butker Despite One Growing Concern
Harrison Butkers latest outing gave the Chiefs a little of everything: several made field goals, plus a missed extra point and a long attempt that didnt go through. Even so, Andy Reid and special teams coordinator Dave Toub both sounded comfortable with where the veteran kicker stands, pointing to the work he has continued to do behind the scenes and the trust Kansas City has built in him over time.
The bigger concern is less about whether Butker can still handle pressure and more about the long-range consistency that has slipped a bit this season. He remains the kind of kicker the Chiefs are happy to lean on in tight moments, but the recent dip from distance is the part worth watching as the season moves forward. [Read more 🡒]
Ex-Chiefs LB Leo Chenal Just Turned A Scary Injury Into Hope
Leo Chenals frightening neck injury in the Seahawks-Commanders game was the kind of moment that stopped everything, with the Washington linebacker being taken off on a cart before the long road back even began. Nearly four weeks later, there is at least a measure of relief around one of the former Chiefs most reliable defenders, after a surgery and a stretch of recovery that turned the focus from what happened on the field to what comes next.
Chenal offered an update on Instagram and used it to thank the family and medical support around him, a reminder that the aftermath of a serious injury is about more than football. For Chiefs fans who watched him develop into a hard-nosed presence in Kansas City, the latest news is less about a timetable than the broader picture of a player working his way back to everyday life, one step at a time. [Read more 🡒]