Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy has fallen short of expectations this season, but head coach Andy Reid still has faith in the former first-round pick.
Worthy has managed to bring some production this season, but failed to show off his game-breaking speed and his performance has started to raise some concerns. Reid is not among those worried about Worthy, instead issuing a statement predicting he is close to a breakout.
Andy Reid Remains Confident in Xavier Worthy
SI.com reporter Jordan Foote noted that Worthy has managed decent production early this season — making eight receptions and scoring a touchdown — but has just 43 yards and “consistently failed to make defenders miss or showcase the elite speed and quickness that got him selected 28th overall back in 2024.”
While the Chiefs have returned to an explosive offense after struggles in 2025, Worthy is not among the biggest producers.
Reid said that could be changing soon, noting that Worthy came close to hauling in a deep shot in the third quarter of Sunday night’s win over the Indianapolis Colts.
“You know, he had an opportunity for that big catch — it was close, man,” Reid said. “You’re probably not asking that one [if he catches it]. He’s fine. He’s just got to keep rolling here. He’s coming off the shoulder part of it and working through all that. He’ll be fine as we go.”
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes also said he wants to keep feeding the ball to Worthy, saying he’ll make the contested plays more often than not.
“Yeah, I think you just try to continue to work it,” Mahomes said. “He’s getting open, he’s making the right reads down the field. Just like the one that we fired in there, it’s just making a tough contested catch. I’ve seen him make that play before, so I’ll continue to fire it. It’s not like he’s not doing his job the right way, it’s just about going out there and finishing it whenever he gets the opportunity.”
Chiefs Leaning Into New Offensive Approach
The Chiefs have started the 2026 season with a more run-oriented attack, leaning on newcomer Kenneth Walker III. The former Seattle Seahawks running back and reigning Super Bowl MVP is leading the NFL among skill-position players with 369 all-purpose yards.
Mahomes said he’s happy to be handing off the ball to the new running back, who accounted for 178 all-purpose yards in this week’s win.
“It’s fun for me,” Mahomes said, via ESPN. “Him running the ball and our offensive line driving off the ball the way they’re driving off, it’s making the defense have to account for that. If not, we’re going to run the ball for 200 yards or whatever we did the week before [against the Denver Broncos].”
Chiefs HC Andy Reid Makes Statement on Xavier Worthy’s Early Season Struggles