Xavier Worthy is headed toward "household name" territory.
For those paying attention, Worthy was a man on fire late last year for the Kansas City Chiefs' offense. He led all NFL receivers in every key postseason statistic, including catches (19), receiving yards (287), and touchdowns (3). The problem was that the Philadelphia Eagles sucked all the air out of the room with a dominant Super Bowl LIX showing, and the only story anyone cared about concerning K.C. was the failed three-peat bid.
But here's the thing: Worthy was already dominating opponents in the games leading up to the playoffs. When Hollywood Brown finally returned from a preseason clavicular injury in Week 15 against the Houston Texans, something clicked for Worthy, who had 11 targets in that game. Once there was anyone else to relieve some defensive pressure, Worthy's development became an offensive centerpiece.
Xavier Worthy picked up right where he left off a year ago with the Chiefs' offense.
In Worthy's final five games of his rookie campaign, the Chiefs' former first-round pick had 34 catches for 431 yards and 5 touchdowns. Those averages equate to 116 catches, 1,465 yards, and 17 touchdowns in a 17-game season—just for reference.
Of course, it's a bit silly to extrapolate numbers like that, but in Worthy's case, it's worth mentioning. The Chiefs learned how to lean on Worthy for far more than a downfield decoy, and the first-year returns were better than anyone could have projected in his first season in an Andy Reid offense. That made his return in 2025 so thrilling, since he was going to be a cornerstone for Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs' passing attack.
Then came the frustrating accidental collision that robbed him of the first three games of the season. A torn labrum suffered in Week 1—on the third play of the game, no less—removed Worthy from the offense, and the results were depressing. The Chiefs began the season with consecutive losses to the Chargers and Eagles before finally getting over the hump against the New York Giants. Yet even in that win, the offense was frustrating.
Then came the Chiefs' shocking win over the Ravens in Week 4, a 37-20 decimation that was aided by Baltimore's abysmal injury situation. Still, it was Worthy's arrival after three games missed that elevated the Chiefs' offense to new heights (pun intended).
On Sunday, Worthy led the Chiefs in receiving with 5 catches for 83 yards, and he added 38 rushing yards as well. Beyond that, his presence on the field made it impossible for Baltimore's limited defense to stop Mahomes. Defenses have to stay vertical, knowing Worthy can take the top off at any time, yet the second-year wideout from Texas has also shown how dangerous he is at any level.
Worthy came into 2025 on one of the hottest streaks in football, and he was an easy pick as a breakout candidate to become the next big name on the Chiefs' offense. Then came a shoulder injury that centered the conversation on the lack of weapons around Mahomes.
With Worthy back in the fold (and Rashee Rice due in three weeks from suspension), the Chiefs offense is ready to inspire fear once again. That should make Worthy as recognizable as any other Chiefs weapon by season's end.