The Kansas City Chiefs kicked off the first day of mandatory minicamp on Monday, June 11. However, wide receiver Xavier Worthy did not participate.
Fox 4 KC’s PJ Green posted a video from practice, which showed Worthy on the sidelines without a helmet. Worthy missed almost all of the Chiefs’ organized team activities after tweaking his hamstring last month.
While it makes sense to be cautious with Worthy, the Chiefs 2024 first-round pick is missing vital practice time with quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Co. It’s been 22 days since Worthy last joined his teammates on the field.
The Athletic’s Nate Taylor posted on Monday, “Xavier Worthy spent much of the on-field work standing next to Matt Nagy.”
While it’s too early to ring the alarm bell on the speedy wide receiver’s injury, concern is growing. “Each passing day means he’s not out on the field practicing and building chemistry with his teammates,” AtoZ Sports Charles Goldman wrote.
“Sure, he’s taking the mental reps on the sideline with a member of the coaching staff, but not being out there and doing it is a big deal. That can have a tangible impact on his ability to be successful as a rookie. Just look at what it did to former first-round draft pick Felix Anudike-Uzomah a season ago.”
Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid Didn’t Seem Overly Concerned With Xavier Worthy’s Injury
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid didn’t seem too concerned while discussing how Worthy “tweaked” hamstring injury last month. “What we saw was somebody that was smart, (he) understood what was being thrown at him,” Reid told reporters on May 21.
“Then, somebody that can run pretty fast. We just basically got through the introduction stuff to him. He was only out there for a day and a half, but he got a nice introduction to things.”
“When he gets back, we’ll take it from there,” Reid continued. “He’s a smart kid, he’s got a good feel for things, comes from a good system. He’s done a few of the things we’ve done in college, so he’ll just work through that and I think we’ll be alright. He’ll get enough reps as we go.”
During his three years at Texas, Worthy recorded 97 receptions for 2,755 yards and 26 touchdowns. His 2,755 receiving yards ranks fourth all-time in school history. The 21-year-old’s 26 receiving touchdowns rank third all-time at Texas.
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes Is ‘Excited’ to Get to Work with WR Xavier Worthy
Mahomes was equally complimentary based on the small sample size at OTAs. “You can tell how intelligent he is,” the three-time Super Bowl MVP told reporters on May 21.
“He’s asking the right questions. Before the hamstring thing, he was getting the work in. Sometimes it’s tough for those guys coming off combine training, they want to prove what they can do Day 1 and little injuries like that happen. We’re going to be precautionary right now, but he could probably get back out there if we really wanted him to.
“You can see him sitting right beside the guys, asking all the right questions. And when he does get back on the field I’m excited to get to work with him.”
With Worthy still out, wide receivers Marquise “Hollywood “Brown, Rashee Rice, Kadarius Toney, Skyy Moore, and Justin Watson are taking in more reps. ESPN’s Adam Teicher posted, “Big day for Rashee Rice. He caught several passes, including a go-route down the left sideline for a TD.”
