Early in the season, the Kansas City Chiefs are in somewhat rare territory. Head coach Andy Reid’s team sits at 1-2 on the year, and Week 4’s bout against the Baltimore Ravens doesn’t mark the beginning of an easier path.
One thing that could help alleviate some of that pressure would be the return of wide receiver Xavier Worthy. He started the week as a full participant in practice, and there’s significant optimism for him to play on Sunday.
If Worthy indeed does get back in the lineup, Kansas City has clear expectations for him.
Xavier Worthy ‘Ready to Go’ Whenever Chiefs Need Him to Return
Speaking to the media on Thursday, offensive coordinator Matt Nagy opened up about Worthy’s status. He believes the club’s 2024 first-round pick is a major component of the offense, which is why there’s been caution regarding his return-to-play progress.
“Well, he’s such a big part of this offense,” Nagy said. “He’s been so instrumental in training camp and OTAs. Coming back this second year, he’s so anxious to get back out there and show us what he can do and show us the growth and then all of a sudden, that happens in Week 1. So now, coming back, I thought last week was a positive. This week, excited. He’s doing really well, he’s running around, he looks good out there.
“We’re just literally taking it day-by-day, and I like where he’s at. It’s exciting. The room, the vibe, getting Rashee [Rice] back in the meetings, there’s a great chemistry. We know where we’re at at 1-2, we understand the significance of this game, but it’s slowly coming back to that vibe. Xavier’s a big part of that.”
In Week 1’s loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, Worthy collided with tight end Travis Kelce on the Chiefs’ opening possession. That forced him out of action with a dislocated shoulder, but he’ll soon attempt to play through the discomfort.
If this week of practice is any indication, he’s chomping at the bit. Wide receivers coach Connor Embree gave his young wideout a vote of confidence.
“Yeah, oh yeah, he’s ready to go,” Embree said. “Just like you said, it’s been a couple of months since he’s really played a game. He played three snaps in the first game and has been out since. He’s ready to go.”
No Restrictions Expected for Worthy With Ball in Hands
In recent weeks, there’s been plenty of speculation about Worthy’s injury. With a torn labrum, his shoulder carries an increased risk of dislocating again. Whether it be extending for a catch, landing wrong or merely getting jammed at the line of scrimmage, there’s a heightened sense of snap-to-snap uncertainty that must be accounted for.
While the Chiefs are indeed factoring that in, they don’t plan to treat Worthy with kid gloves. Embree says fellow receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster has experience working through a similar ailment. That advice will help Worthy, but Kansas City expects him to tough it out and play his normal brand of football once it’s time.
“Again, we’ve had a couple of guys on the team with the same injury,” Embree said. “JuJu’s one of those guys. He’s kind of talked to him [about] what to expect and kind of what to watch out for. I’m not like, ‘Hey, once you get the ball, slide or jump out of bounds.’ He’s got to play football. If he’s out there, he’s got to protect himself whether he’s got an injury or not. We haven’t really talked to him about, ‘hey, go slide’ or anything. If he’s out there, he’s going to be playing.”
Regardless of whether he sports a brace or plays on a snap count, Worthy’s eventual presence will help the Chiefs’ offense. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes is making things work as best he can with a skeleton crew, but no Worthy or Rice makes for a tough set of circumstances.
In some ways, Kansas City has played with one arm instead of two. Their hope is Worthy can soon at least try to do the same.