Xavier Worthy rises to the occasion for Chiefs’ offense

With injuries hitting the Kansas City Chiefs’ wide receiver corps ahead of the matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers, third-year wideout Xavier Worthy clearly needed to step up. Our Brandon Kiley wrote about it last week: the Chiefs need Worthy now more than ever.

He wasted little time proving that he was ready to rise to the occasion against the Chargers.

On the first play from scrimmage, quarterback Patrick Mahomes found Worthy running to the right—before he caught the ball and quickly jetted back left and into the middle of the field. Worthy’s intentional, aggressive sprint downfield was a welcome sight (despite tight end Travis Kelce blocking in the back). It was the best he has looked with the ball in his hands all season.

Immediately after the big play to open the game, Mahomes threw an off-target pass over the middle to Worthy, who stretched out and snagged the ball for a 15-yard gain. The hot start showcased Worthy coming out of the bye week locked in.

He stayed locked in on the football during the team’s second drive. On third-and-2, he ran a crossing pattern that came open for Mahomes to float a pass into. Worthy stuck out just one hand at first, then reached out and stared at the ball through the catch-and-run for 17 yards.

Worthy, along with running back Kenneth Walker, became the constant weapon the Chiefs needed in a game where the offense stalled too many times. Kansas City saw two red-zone opportunities end in failure, whether through an avoidable interception by Mahomes or a fourth-and-1 stop in the second half.

Before halftime, Worthy caught a pass over the middle and showcased the 4.21-second 40-yard dash across the field and out of bounds, setting up Butker to kick a 50-yard field goal before intermission.

In the third quarter, Worthy kept a possession alive by laying out for a quick sideline pass that was wide. The Chiefs didn’t move the chains on third and short, but it was the speedster’s sixth catch of the game on six targets. No other Chiefs receiver had more than one catch to that point.

In the locker room after the game, Worthy told local media he was ready for more usage, courtesy of 96.5 the Fan’s post on X.

“They told me all week: it’s going to be for me,” Worthy said. “I have to step up for the receiving room; guys are done, and I did my one of 11.”

“It’s obviously great to be targeted early and often… getting your feel for the game.”

It was a slower pace to the finish line in Kansas City’s 22-6 win over Los Angeles on offense, but Worthy still finished as the team’s leader in receptions (7), receiving yards (73) and yards after catch (43). He caught all seven passes thrown his way and moved the chains four times.

He stepped in for Rashee Rice as the high-volume wideout in the Chiefs’ offense and helped generate explosive plays alongside Walker’s positive runs, who led the unit with 128 rushing yards and two touchdowns. The rest of the team’s wideouts combined for five catches for 64 yards.

Kansas City has come to expect that impact from Walker, but strong performances from Worthy are nearly just as necessary to keep the offense rolling from here.