Chiefs news: Injury turns Xavier Worthy into an observer at OTAs

The name of the game for rookies coming into the National Football League is all about reps. It's vital for college players making the transition to the professional level to get as many as they can during the short post-draft preseason if they want to make much of an impact early in their careers.

That's why it's notable that Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy was an observer late in offseason training sessions this week as the team remains in Phase 3 of their summer workouts.

According to Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, Worthy tweaked his hamstring and sat out the full final day of OTAs. He also missed part of another day, which means he was forced to miss half of the week's work.

The Chiefs first-round pick had to sit out some of OTAs after suffering a hamstring injury.

The loss of reps in mid-May workouts isn't a make-or-break scenario by any stretch, but for Chiefs fans (and likely coaches) clamoring to see Worthy stretch this offense vertically with his world-class speed, it's frustrating to see him sidelined. And no one ie likely more upset than Worthy himself as he prepares to take on an important role in the team's offense.

Worthy was the Chiefs' single greatest offseason investment into their offense this offseason as their first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The team traded up to No. 28 overall to make the selection of Worthy with visions of an expanded playbook after a truncated offensive approach in 2023 due to a lack of dependable playmakers who could stretch the field of play.

Together with Marquise Brown, the Chiefs should have a much more exciting and expansive playbook in '24. But to get there, Worthy is going to need as many reps as he can squeeze in.