Chiefs' Xavier Worthy Teases Punt-Return Role, Shares Interesting Advice

Xavier Worthy said Thursday his goal as a wide receiver is to play like a mouse. A few minutes later, while talking about his potential role on special teams, he let the cat out of the bag.

The second-year wideout credited Chicago’s DJ Moore with helping him understand how to best use his best gift, his 4.21-second speed.

“He always tells me what I need to do,” said Worthy, who joined Kay Adams live on Thursday’s edition of the Up & Adams Show. “I always go to him for advice. And it was like, ‘Man, you just need to be a mouse. You just need to get away from them, just be a rat and get away from them.’

“I’m small, so just get away from them. Don't let them touch you. Your speed is your biggest ability, and just use it to your strength.”

This season, Worthy might be using that strength in another phase of the game. Assistant head coach and special-teams coordinator Dave Toub confirmed last month that Worthy is back in the mix to return punts, now that Rashee Rice and the Chiefs’ wide receivers have returned to full health.

“I say he’s the best punt returner nobody knows about right now in the league,” Toub said.

Scouts knew about him coming out of Texas, where in 2023 he averaged 16.9 yards per punt return, returned one punt for a touchdown, and led the Football Bowl Subdivision with 371 punt-return yards. Asked Thursday whether he was planning to return punts, he did his best to keep the answer classified.

“Oh man, I don't know,” he told Adams. “Stay tuned. Stay tuned. I can't drop that yet. … I think every time I touch the ball, I'm liable to score, so if I have that chance to be on punt return and change the game for my team, I'm gonna do it.”

Worthy said Toub regularly features Devin Hester highlights in team meetings. Toub was the Hall of Fame returner’s special-teams coordinator for seven seasons (2006-12) in Chicago.

“We always watched him in the special-teams meeting, all last year,” Worthy said. Devin Hester is an iconic guy that you always see and watch on highlights. … It’s his understanding of the leverage, what he's gonna do when he gets the ball.

“He hits the seam better than anybody. He doesn't slow up; he hits the full speed, and that's what I feel like other punt returners need to be doing. If you hit the full speed, then you're gonna have to change direction.”

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