Chiefs’ X-Factor: Xavier Worthy Proves He’s More Than Just Speed, Emerging as a Top WR Threat

Xavier Worthy was supposed to be a complementary No. 3 receiver as a rookie, but injuries to Rashee Rice and Marquise Brown forced him into a much more prominent role within Kansas City’s offense. Instead of being able to gradually work him into the offense with designed touches and underneath targets, the Chiefs needed Worthy to run an expanded route tree earlier than they had initially planned.

Over the first five weeks Worthy averaged just 3.8 targets and 35.8 yards per game. After Rice’s injury in Week 4, Worthy’s role grew and he has emerged as a reliable and explosive target, who can excel as a deep threat, gadget receiver, and intermediate chain-mover. In his last five games, Worthy has averaged 8.6 targets and 64 yards.

His first touchdown in Week 1 is an example of what everyone expected his role to be. The Chiefs have continued to feature him on jet sweeps and end arounds, and he’s recorded five touchdowns this year on runs or passes behind the line of scrimmage.

Most people assume that the best way to take advantage of the 40-yard dash record holder’s speed is by having him run posts, nine routes, and slot fades, but Kansas City has done an outstanding job of weaponizing his speed on the horizontal plane. He’s capable of stretching the defense laterally and easily burning pursuit angles, especially when he gets matched up with a slot corner or safety.

He’s nearly automatic on flat routes or slide routes across the formation against man coverage. His defender is usually unable to fight through traffic and recapture the angle, so this is a very effective short yardage play, especially in the low red zone.

This skillset is also valuable on drag routes and mesh concepts against outside leverage. Worthy’s burst off the snap allows him to win a step on his defender immediately, and they have no chance of recovering. Kansas City has targeted Worthy on this route multiple times on third and fourth downs this year.

Integrating Worthy as a vertical threat took more time and his lack of a connection with Patrick Mahomes on downfield targets was frustrating to watch, especially early in the season. Worthy has caught just four of 18 targets of 20+ air yards this year, and both he and Mahomes deserve blame for their inability to convert.

On multiple occasions Worthy has been wide open on a go route or deep post, but the pass has been uncatchable. Some of these incompletions resulted from poor pass protection.

Worthy hasn’t had any drops on deep targets, but he’s been ineffective winning contested catches and has struggled to land both feet in bounds, even on plays where he was unobstructed.

Later in the season, however, and particularly in the playoffs Worthy has come down with some deep contested catches in critical moments. The 50-50 ball he won on third down against Buffalo is a reception he wouldn’t have converted earlier in the season. He’ll probably never be a great jump ball winner, but if he can approach average, that will go a long way in rounding out the rest of his skillset.