With the NFL preseason officially underway, all 32 teams are inching closer to the games that truly matter. Having a healthy roster early in the season is paramount, and it’s something the Kansas City Chiefs know both sides of.
The reigning AFC champions got a brief scare when wide receiver Xavier Worthy entered concussion protocol at training camp. Luckily for Patrick Mahomes, one of his most electric targets is back in the fold as the month of August kicks off.
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Xavier Worthy Back at Chiefs Training Camp Practice
Worthy’s injury situation was certainly one to monitor for the Chiefs. After he left practice on July 29, head coach Andy Reid said he merely “banged his head” but didn’t seem concerned. After all, Worthy had just a brief check-in at the on-site medical tent and appeared to avoid a major ailment. In the aftermath of his injury, Reid didn’t speak to media on July 30 and Kansas City had an off day on July 31.
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Following Friday’s practice, Reid spoke about Worthy’s injury.
“Xavier Worthy, so Xavier’s wound up not being a concussion,” Reid said. “We had both the NFL involved with the clearing and our docs. He had a little liquid in his ear, and they took care of that. It was throwing his equilibrium off just a bit. That’s a positive thing.”
The fact that Worthy’s absence was a quick one is great news if you’re the Chiefs. The 28th overall pick from last year’s NFL Draft certainly needs every bit of development he can get this summer. His rookie campaign was up-and-down in nature, seeing him haul in 59 passes on 98 targets for 638 yards and 6 touchdowns. With that said, he got stronger as the year went on.
Weeks 11-17, specifically, served as a coming-out party for Worthy. In those seven games, he recorded 39 catches for 392 yards and 3 touchdowns. Over the course of a full season, that would’ve extrapolated to 95 catches, 952 yards and 7 scores. That’s more in line with production of a first-round receiver. On the other hand, Worthy could’ve added plenty more yardage if he connected with Mahomes on some deep shots that were close.
Training camp will leave the door open for that chemistry to evolve.
Kansas City Wideout Room Aiming for Health & Production in 2025
Aside from Worthy, there’s plenty of intrigue regarding the Chiefs’ receiver room. At the very top, Rashee Rice was primed for a breakout 2024-25 campaign before going down with a serious knee injury. Now healthy and looking explosive at training camp, he’s back in the swing of things. Unfortunately, a potential suspension from the NFL could abbreviate his regular season.
Marquise “Hollywood” Brown will complement Rice alongside Worthy. Brown spent most of last season on the shelf with a sternoclavicular injury. After returning late in the year, he struggled to be effective when it mattered most. Brown came into training camp healthy but has since suffered an ankle injury. He didn’t practice on Friday when Worthy returned.
Depth is simultaneously a strong suit and a question mark for this collective. The Chiefs can count on JuJu Smith-Schuster to be a veteran presence, and rookie fourth-rounder Jalen Royals is very intriguing. Behind them, Nikko Remigio is emerging as a camp darling once again. Skyy Moore is still in the fold but, like Brown, he’s out of action with an injury (his is a hamstring).
The Chiefs need their wide receivers to stay on the field in 2025-26. It can’t be another year of relying on future Hall of Fame tight end Travis Kelce. That simply isn’t sustainable in the long run of the year. Should some combination of Rice, Brown, Worthy and someone else be serviceable, this offense will bounce back.
Worthy getting on the field again is a good step along that journey.
