The Chiefs keep stacking wins, but Xavier Worthy’s role in the offense is getting harder to defend.
Kansas City moved to 3-0 with a 24-10 win over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, and Patrick Mahomes once again did the heavy lifting. He finished 20 of 24 for 246 yards, threw two touchdowns and one interception, and kept the Chiefs humming in a game that was never especially pretty. Kenneth Walker III added 70 rushing yards on 18 carries and scored twice, while Rashee Rice gave the passing game a much-needed jolt with 7 catches for 88 yards, his best outing of the season by a wide margin.
That’s the backdrop. The problem is Worthy.
Through three games, the third-year receiver has only 10 receptions for 63 yards and one touchdown. That’s not just quiet production - it’s a drag on a passing attack that otherwise looks sharp. His 6.3 yards per catch tells the story in blunt terms, and the numbers get even less flattering when stacked against Tyquan Thornton, who has 45 more receiving yards than Worthy despite four fewer catches.
It’s a stark turn for a player who once looked like a real breakout candidate. Worthy’s rookie year ended with plenty of momentum, especially once Rice went down with a season-ending torn ACL in Week 4.
He started slowly, with 20 catches for 246 yards and two touchdowns over the first nine games, but he found another gear late. Over the Chiefs’ final ten games, he caught 58 passes for 679 yards and 6 touchdowns, then followed that with 6 receptions for 85 yards and a score in the AFC Championship win over the Bills.
He saved his best for Super Bowl LIX, finishing with 8 catches for a career-high 157 yards and two touchdowns.
That finish made it look like Kansas City had found a receiver it could build around. Instead, Worthy’s last season and a half has pushed him in the opposite direction.
In 2025, injuries were part of the story. He collided with Travis Kelce on his first route of the season and missed nearly three games with a shoulder injury.
After returning with 5 catches for 83 yards against the Ravens, he never topped 65 receiving yards again. He closed the year with 42 catches for 532 yards and one touchdown on 73 targets, catching just 57% of those targets.
This season was supposed to be the reset. The Chiefs finally had a real run game with Walker, Worthy was healthy, and there was at least reason to think the offense around him would be in a better place.
But three games in, he has not matched that opportunity. He has been on the field, yet he hasn’t turned that into much production, and the gap between his early hype and his current output is starting to feel wide.
The tape hasn’t helped him much, either. In the third quarter against Denver, he ran the wrong route and helped set up an interception for Broncos safety Brandon Jones, with Mahomes expecting him to sit in the zone while Worthy kept running downfield.
In the Sunday night win over the Colts, he had multiple passes hit his hands and fall incomplete while logging 25 yards on 69 offensive snaps. Against Miami, he caught 2 passes for 20 yards on 43 snaps.
Even the advanced numbers are ugly. Worthy’s Pro Football Focus receiving grade is 56.8, which ranks 75th among 84 qualified wide receivers. However anyone feels about PFF, that kind of ranking does line up with what the box score says: this has been a rough start, not just a quiet one.
Meanwhile, the Chiefs’ offense keeps finding other answers. Kelce looks like he’s back in his prime, Walker has added something Kansas City’s Mahomes-era attack never really had, and Rice is giving the passing game a reliable edge.
That leaves Worthy in an awkward spot. If his play doesn’t pick up, the Chiefs could start looking harder at other options like Thornton, rookie Cyrus Allen, or even, dare I say, Tyreek Hill, if a reunion ever becomes real.
It’s too early to bury Worthy entirely. He already showed he can be a major piece of an NFL offense, and he’ll get another chance Sunday against a questionable Raiders secondary.
But right now, the Chiefs are winning without getting much from the player who once looked like he might become one of their offensive centerpieces. If that doesn’t change soon, his place in the pecking order could keep sliding.
In Other News...
Tom Bradys Latest Rankings Set Up A Chiefs Debate
Tom Bradys latest NFL power rankings for FOX Sports after Week 3 stirred the usual debate, and for Kansas City, the conversation is less about who sits at the top than who is being watched closely. Brady bumped the 49ers to No. 1 after their unbeaten start, dropped the Seahawks to No. 6 after their first loss, and also praised Brock Purdy while sliding the Raiders into the top five because of their undefeated record.
For Chiefs fans, the bigger question is where Kansas City fits in that pecking order and what Bradys eye test says about the teams chasing it. Any ranking this early invites argument, especially when unbeaten teams are rewarded and a contender like Seattle can fall quickly after one slip, which is exactly the kind of setup that keeps a weekly debate alive around the league. [Read more 🡒]
Chiefs Fans Are Turning Another Raiders Home Game Into A Road Test
The buildup to Sundays Chiefs-Raiders matchup at Allegiant Stadium has already turned into another familiar discussion point for Las Vegas: who will actually make up the crowd. Raiders coach Klint Kubiak and defensive end Maxx Crosby both had to address the issue this week, a sign that the noise around the stands may be nearly as loud as the one on the field.
Raiders fans have taken to social media to vent about the possibility of Kansas City supporters overwhelming the building again, and they have been urging other Las Vegas fans to show up and help create some kind of home-field edge. For the Raiders, it is another reminder that making Allegiant feel like their place has been a problem, and for the Chiefs it is simply part of what comes with a road trip that often looks and sounds a little too familiar. [Read more 🡒]
Chiefs Linked To WR Move That Could Change Their Ceiling
The Chiefs wide receiver room has been a source of discussion as they continue looking for more firepower to complement the rest of the offense, and that has pushed them into the conversation around Brian Thomas Jr. According to ESPNs Dan Graziano, Kansas City is one of several teams viewed as a potential trade suitor for the Jacksonville Jaguars wideout, a sign that the market for impact pass catchers could get busy.
San Francisco and Las Vegas are also said to be in the mix, which only adds to the intrigue for Kansas City if the Jaguars decide to listen. Jacksonville has enough other receivers to potentially make such a move possible, and for the Chiefs, the appeal is obvious: adding a player like Thomas could alter the ceiling of an offense that still has room to grow. [Read more 🡒]