One week after watching the Kansas City Chiefs offense come alive with the return of Xavier Worthy from a shoulder injury, fans might be forced to watch a step backward in Week 5 with the latest injury news.
As the Chiefs prepare to visit the Jacksonville Jaguars in primetime on Monday Night Football, the team has announced that Worthy has been downgraded to questionable for Week 5 with both shoulder and ankle concerns.
Coming into the Jags game, the Chiefs have three important players who are all going to be game-time calls: Worthy, defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott, and cornerback Kristian Fulton. All three have been listed as questionable on the injury report.
If there's a silver lining, Sports Illustrated Matt Verderame says there's reason to believe things could turn out positively.
I'm told that while the Chiefs have Xavier Worthy listed as questionable (shoulder/ankle), the expectation is he will be okay for MNF against the Jaguars.
— Matt Verderame (@MattVerderame) October 5, 2025
We'll see how his body feels tomorrow, but KC is hopeful he'll be able to go.
Worthy's inclusion as of late Sunday night is a devastating turn for an offense that just showcased what Patrick Mahomes is capable of when he's given elite weapons to work with. Mahomes has dragged mediocrity across the finish line in previous seasons, with Super Bowl rings to show for his efforts despite working with a below below-averageaverage wide receiver room and backfield. However, Chiefs football is a lot more fun to watch when the fireworks keep opponents squarely in the rearview mirror.
Just about the worst news the Chiefs could get before facing Jacksonville on MNF.
One week ago, Worthy returned in Week 4, and the result was a dominant win over the Baltimore Ravens. Worthy led the team in both receiving and rushing, and opened up the passing attack to allow Mahomes and company to put up 37 points in a 17-point win for the Chiefs. Worthy finished with over 120 yards from scrimmage in his first game back.
Worthy was the Chiefs' first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and rewarded the team with a stellar first season in which he became red-hot down the stretch. He went on to lead all pass catchers in the postseason with 19 catches for 287 yards and 3 touchdowns.
The Chiefs were without Worthy since the third play of the season when the wide receiver and tight end Travis Kelce accidentally collided while running routes early in a loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Worthy suffered a torn labrum and was held out of the next two full games (as well as most of Week 1) before he returned with a supportive shoulder harness in Week 4.
If the Chiefs are forced to play without Worthy, it's going to be a much easier task for the Jaguars' defense, which is already a turnover machine for the 3-1 team. All eyes in Chiefs Kingdom will be on the team's inactive list shortly before gametime to see who is going to be available and whether Mahomes will have to work from a limited deck once again or not.