Chiefs WR Xavier Worthy Finally Stepped Up When Kansas City Needed Him the Most

Amid the ongoing injuries to the Chiefs' receiving corps, there were concerns about how the wideouts would fare against the Chargers. Kansas City was without Tyquan Thornton whose fractured ankle will force him to miss most of the season, and Rashee Rice was also sidelined with a hamstring injury.

Third-year speedster Xavier Worthy had caught a lot of flak in recent weeks due to his mediocre start to the season. Through the first three weeks of the campaign, Worthy ranked in the bottom three in the NFL in yards per catch and was primarily used in the short game. The Chiefs weren't necessarily playing to his strengths, which include his ability to stretch the field as a long-ball threat.

Worthy finally silenced those concerns in the game where KC needed him the most. He finished the 22-6 victory over the Chargers with a season-high seven receptions for 73 yards, hauling in all of his targets from quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

Going into the contest, Worthy knew he'd have to take on an extended workload to help make up for the team's injuries. He couldn't have asked for a better opportunity to show that he was ready for it.

"They told me all week that [WR1] was going to be me," Worthy said in the locker room after the win. "I got to step up for the receiving room guys who went down, so I did my job."

Oct 18, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy (1) runs after making a catch during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It has been a long road for Worthy, whose progress during his 638-yard, nine-touchdown rookie season was derailed by a subpar sophomore year. He dislocated his shoulder in the 2025 season opener, and although he returned to action a few weeks later, he never had the same explosiveness or burst moving forward.

Regardless, head coach Andy Reid maintains that Worthy has always been capable of this kind of production and should be able to reach his full potential now that he's fully healthy and being given a more featured role in the aerial attack.

"We had some injuries, and all of a sudden, he becomes the primary guy," Reid stated in his media appearance this afternoon. "But he's always had this ability and can do all of this. He's a good football player. It's just a matter of there's only so many plays, and so many times to spread the ball around."

All of the questions about whether Worthy's speed had diminished since his first year in the red and gold were put to bed in Week 6. His highlight of the night came on a blazing 19-yard catch that helped Kansas City tack on another three points before halftime.

Xavier Worthy hit 21.07 MPH on this play per @NextGenStats the 2nd fastest ball carrier of the week. https://t.co/XOmGcJ36nR
— Price Carter (@priceacarter) October 19, 2026

The length of Rice's absence remains to be seen, but Worthy should have plenty of confidence after finally getting a chance to show what he can do. If this version of Worthy sticks around, Kansas City's receiver room may not be as dire as it once appeared.

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