Xavier Worthy eyes revenge game after Buffalo Bills 'didn't want me' in 2024 NFL Draft

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Kansas City Chiefs fans might be distracted by the endless debates surrounding officiating, but Sunday’s AFC Championship Game against the Buffalo Bills is still the priority. Every storyline, stat, and angle has been analyzed to exhaustion ahead of this highly anticipated showdown. Yet, the human element of the game remains a crucial factor—and for rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy, that element might be the spark that defines his performance.

Worthy was Kansas City's top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, and the road to his selection runs through Buffalo. The Chiefs moved up from 32nd to 28th overall, orchestrating a trade with the Bills to grab the standout Texas product. For the Bills, it marked another chapter in their recent history of trading draft picks with Kansas City, a trend that hasn’t worked out in their favor. Worthy is determined to keep that streak alive.

Rookie wideout Xavier Worthy is ready for Sunday's test against the Bufflo Bills

When asked about Buffalo trading away the pick that became him, Worthy didn’t hold back during Friday's media availability.

"I mean, I take it as a blessing and I feel like it's a sign that they didn't want me," Worthy said. "At the end of the day, I'm going to play with my chip on my shoulder. This game means a little bit more. Obviously, it's the AFC championship game, but this is a team that traded their pick away to get somebody else."

That "somebody else" turned out to be wide receiver Keon Coleman, selected by Buffalo with the 33rd pick. So far, Worthy has far outperformed Coleman in their rookie campaigns. Worthy posted 638 receiving yards, 59 receptions, and nine total touchdowns this season, numbers that dwarf Coleman’s production. Coleman has also been a non-factor in Buffalo’s two playoff games, while Worthy shined as Kansas City’s leading receiver in their divisional win over the Houston Texans.

Worthy wasn't a star from the word go, but attributes his growth to the veterans in Kansas City.

"I feel like I just kept stacking every game," Worthy said. "All the vets like Pat, Trav, D-Hop, JuJu; I mean, having guys like that makes it real easy just to give you insight on the game and just learning from them and keep taking tools from them. I mean, I can't appreciate it enough, just learning from D-Hop — as D-Hop says, I'm kind of like the little brother, so just getting knowledge from them is going to keep expanding my game."

Worthy also reflected on the Chiefs’ Week 11 loss to the Bills, offering a simple but poignant assessment:

"We left a lot out there on the field," Worthy said. "We just got to execute and just continue with our game plan."

For Chiefs fans who have rewatched that game, Worthy’s words likely resonate. The missed opportunities from that loss are a clear motivator for the team heading into Sunday. While every player will be hungry to avenge that defeat, Worthy has a little extra fire fueling his effort.

As Kansas City prepares for the rematch, all eyes will be on the rookie wideout who was “passed over” by Buffalo. If his chip-on-the-shoulder mindset is any indication, Worthy could be a difference-maker in the Chiefs’ quest for another Super Bowl appearance.

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