KANSAS CITY, Mo. — In his much-anticipated return, Kansas City Chiefs receiver Xavier Worthy made the most of his seven touches in a 37-20 victory over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.
Even when Worthy didn’t touch the ball, the Chiefs’ fastest player still had a significant impact on his teammates, with Kansas City scoring its most points of the season and most since Sept. 24, 2023.
After missing the past two games while recovering from a dislocated right shoulder, Worthy led the Chiefs in receiving (career-high 83 yards) and rushing yards (career-high 38).
“He’s just so explosive,” quarterback Patrick Mahomes said. “When you get the ball in his hands, man, it just makes defenses have to adjust. And when they adjust, because he gets so much attention on him, other guys can make plays happen.
“Just having him out there, not only for his physical abilities but just the morale of the [locker room], I thought it was huge.”
Worthy’s production and presence helped unlock the Chiefs’ offense, with Mahomes also posting his best performance of the season. He completed passes to nine teammates and threw for 270 yards and four touchdowns without committing a turnover.
“It felt like what we know we’re capable of [as an offense],” said receiver Hollywood Brown, who scored a touchdown. “We’ve had some hiccups, this guy off the field or this guy off the field. Just getting everybody together was big for us.”
Late in the first quarter, Mahomes completed his first deep pass to Worthy, who sprinted past cornerback Marlon Humphrey for a 37-yard gain. Worthy, who wore a small brace for his right shoulder, finished the highlight by sliding to the turf near the sideline, a decision he made to help protect himself.
“We’re just going to keep growing and that’s just the chemistry that we’ve built,” Worthy said of his connection with Mahomes. “When I talked to Coach [Andy Reid], he was like, ‘How do you feel?’ I said, ‘I’m going out there and I’m doing everything.’ I’m not trying to be limited.
“I had never missed a game before in my life.”
In the season opener against the Los Angeles Chargers, Worthy dislocated the shoulder on the third play of the game. The injury occurred when he collided with tight end Travis Kelce, who was running a crossing route in the opposite direction.
The Chiefs began the season 0-2 in part because the offense struggled while having to perform with a short-handed group of wide receivers. Rashee Rice, Mahomes’ top receiver, is serving a six-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy, and rookie Jalen Royals missed the first two games because of a right knee injury.
“When I got hurt in the beginning of the first game, it hurt me, and I felt I let the guys down,” Worthy said. “That’s just the player I am. When I got back out there, I just vowed to myself that I’m going to make plays.”
Worthy played 41 snaps (58.6%), and the Chiefs accentuated his skills by getting him the ball in creative ways.
His first reception was on a fourth-and-2 in the first quarter, when the Chiefs had him use his speed and quickness to beat man-to-man coverage for a 4-yard gain. The Chiefs’ first snap of their first TD drive in the second quarter featured an extra offensive lineman, guard Mike Caliendo, and tight formation to set up a misdirection play. Worthy flashed his speed on an end around and gained 35 yards, the Chiefs’ longest designed run this season.
“I thought [offensive coordinator] Matt [Nagy] used [Worthy] the right way and put him in great positions,” Reid said. “I’m glad he came out [of the game] healthy.”
When on the perimeter, Worthy ran a nifty stop-and-go-and-stop intermediate route to get open against cornerback Chidobe Awuzie for a 28-yard reception.
“He’s not just this fast receiver,” Mahomes said. “He’s gained weight, he’s kept his speed, and he’s shown that he can be a guy that can do everything. This is the role we expected him to be in, and he’s showcased it today.”
Prior to Sunday, Mahomes had struggled when blitzed, completing just 52% of his attempts. But with Worthy as a viable passing option, Mahomes excelled when the Ravens blitzed, completing nine of 13 attempts for 98 yards and a touchdown.
When Mahomes threw the ball past the line-to-gain marker, he completed nine passes for 133 yards and three touchdowns.
“With the offensive line, we just had better communication,” Mahomes said. “With Xavier being back, it’s that threat of being able to win over the top. It’s scary for defenses when they’re going to bring pressure, knowing you can get it to that guy — short or deep — and then he can make plays happen.”
