The Kansas City Chiefs look for a resurgence in 2026, and young wide receiver Xavier Worthy could be a big part of that.
ESPN’s Dan Graziano projects that Worthy will have “a major role in the offense” this season. Worthy has posted at least 42 receptions and 532 yards in each of his first two seasons, but he notably regressed from his rookie year in 2024 when he had 59 catches for 638 yards and six touchdowns.
“The Chiefs had major plans for Worthy in last year’s offense, but you might remember he got hurt on the third play of their season when he collided with teammate Travis Kelce and suffered a shoulder injury that forced him to miss Weeks 2-3,” Graziano wrote. “Worthy came back and played the rest of the season wearing a brace, but the coaching staff was limited in what it could ask him to do given his condition, and many of the plans for him had to be shelved.”
That could all change in 2026.
Xavier Worthy’s Comeback Working Out
Graziano highlighted how Worthy hasn’t let the 2025 setbacks slow him down this year so far.
“Worthy had surgery in January to repair a torn labrum, and a team source told me the surgeon said he was amazed Worthy had been able to come back and play at all,” Graziano wrote. “The 2024 first-round pick went into training camp healthy this year, and coaches say he looks incredibly fast.”
“They also believe they can give him more types of routes than he ran last season and find creative ways to incorporate him into the offense,” Graziano added. “Rashee Rice could still end up as the team’s leading receiver, but his health and off-field concerns continue to limit the Chiefs’ ability to count on him. And if his tumultuous offseason — which saw Rice serve 30 days in jail immediately following his knee surgery — has set him back in terms of being ready for the season, there’s a big opportunity for Worthy to take over as a featured guy.”
Xavier Worthy: ‘I Feel Good’
Worthy talked with reporters on Wednesday and indicated he is ready for Week 1 when the Chiefs take on the Denver Broncos on Sept. 14.
“I feel good,” Worthy told reporters. “We got back out there today [for practice]. It was hot today, so it’s good.”
Worthy will get an instant challenge in the Broncos, one of the top defenses from last season. The Broncos beat the Chiefs in both meetings last year, as the Chiefs scored fewer than 20 points both times.
Worthy said there has been a focus on fundamentals and running plays. He also expressed confidence that he can get the chemistry back with starting quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who is also returning from injury.
“Me and Pat, we kind of been working this offseason and obviously the timing and stuff we need to work on,” Worthy said. “But playing that [preseason] game, we were telling coach [Andy Reid], like, ‘dang, coach, if we going to play two drives, we might as well play the first half. But once you’re in there, … it’s kind of fun.”
“So, I feel like when it’s time to play, we’ll be ready,” Worthy added.
Chiefs WR Receives Major Prediction From ESPN