The life of a rookie in the NFL isn’t smooth sailing and Kansas City Chiefs receiver Xavier Worthy found that out.
The 4.21 40-yard dash speed merchant had a steep learning curve, and it took him a while to start getting comfortable in Andy Reid’s offense.
But we’ve seen over the last six or so games that Worthy is developing into one of Patrick Mahomes’ most trusted weapons, and that’s a big feather in the rookie’s cap.
For Reid, he’s detailed how he’s navigated the ups and downs that come with a rookie receiver learning his place in the NFL.
“You could see the talent,” Reid said in his playoff scouting report. “He’s smart kid, you can see the talent, was a matter of time. I saw that with Rashee [Rice] the year before, we’ve seen it with a bunch of receivers over time. As long they’re willing to work, smart and have the skill he has, but you just hang with it and they’ll work through it. They’ve got to see it, get kind of those main defenses down, and the reads, and the routes and all that, so he’s done a nice job with all that.”
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy
© Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
Worthy was a slow burn to start the year, having just two games of 40+ receiving yards in his first nine games and had four of 20 yards or less.
But over the last seven games, Worthy has turned heads as he has surpassed 40 yards in each, along with having at least four receptions to finish the season second in yards (683) and receptions (59) and led the Chiefs in touchdowns (six).
So he is starting to pick up the pace, and as the Chiefs look to their first playoff game against the Houston Texans, we imagine that there will be no nerves from Worthy, as he seems rather settled at the NFL level.
