Tag: Xavier Worthy

JuJu Smith-Schuster on his role with the Chiefs: ‘Coming in to be a leader in that room’

JuJu Smith-Schuster on his role with the Kansas City #Chiefs: ‘Coming in to be a leader in that room’ | @EdEastonJr

The start of the regular season is a week away, and the Kansas City Chiefs have trimmed their roster to 53 players. A few deals were made before the deadline, including signing veteran wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster.

Smith-Schuster spoke with reporters on Tuesday after practice about his new role with the Chiefs as he begins his second tenure.

“You got speed down the field (and) great hands. Last year, me watching Rashee Rice – his kind of position I played the year I was here,” said Smith-Schuster. “It was very cool to see how those guys used him in that way (and) in that form—being able to just see that and coming in to be a leader in that room – being a vet in the room. Just being able to help those young guys out.”

Smith-Schuster is only 27 years old, but he still fully embraces the mentorship role for the younger receivers. Entering his 8th season, he’s already experienced the highs and lows of the league while still competing at a high level.

“Yesterday (Monday) was my first practice, and being able to see (Xavier) Worthy run was pretty impressive,” said Smith-Schuster. “He was just like floating across the field. It’s pretty cool that (we have) a guy like him who can open up the offense.”

The 2017 second-round pick can play multiple roles in the offense, making him valuable for the Chiefs to pick up well after training camp. His instant chemistry with Mahomes and mastery of head coach Andy Reid’s playbook are all essential in the talented receivers’ room.

Brian Baldinger breaks down Xavier Worthy’s preseason performance

Check out what Brian Baldinger had to say when he broke down #Chiefs WR Xavier Worthy’s preseason performances.

Blazing-fast rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy was a notable acquisition for the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2024 offseason and has already logged 62 receiving yards on three receptions and scored a touchdown in two preseason appearances.

The Texas product looks like he will be a key contributor in the Chiefs’ receiving corps for this season, especially if his speed can help bring the deep passing game back to Kansas City’s offensive game plan.

This week, NFL Network analyst Brian Balndinger broke down the film of Worthy’s performance against the Detroit Lions and provided valuable insight about the Chiefs’ rookie receiver on Twitter.

Check out what Baldinger had to say below:

Though it is unclear how much playing time Worthy will get against the Chicago Bears on Thursday night, fans can look forward to seeing him suit up for his regular season debut when the Kansas City faces the Baltimore Ravens on September 5.

 

 

Patrick Mahomes: ‘It was super important’ to get Worthy, Rice involved vs. Lions

#Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes told reporters about the importance of building his rapport with Xavier Worthy and Rashee Rice against the #Lions.

The Kansas City Chiefs are 0-2 in preseason action after losses to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Detroit Lions, but their record isn’t necessarily an indication of the defending champions’ progress.

In comments to reporters this week, Patrick Mahomes told the media that getting in rhythm with Xavier Worthy and Rashee Rice was one of his primary objectives in the preseason and that he is confident in their trajectories.

“It was super important,” Mahomes said of connecting with Worthy early in Kansas City’s loss to Detroit. “Obviously, you saw that we were kind of majoring in that early. Trying to get him some routes where he can go out there and win and then getting Rashee [Rice] involved a little bit.

“You [have] got to find the right balance because you want to not put them in too much harm’s way, but you want them to go out there and get some confidence going. I was glad to get both those guys going early. Obviously, you want to score touchdowns. I thought we did good drives – kind of stalled out there in the red zone.”

Though Mahomes, Worthy, and Rice aren’t expected to see the field against the Chicago Bears in Kansas City’s preseason finale, the trio seem to be in lockstep and should be expected to perform well in the Chiefs’ regular season kickoff against the Baltimore Ravens.

Xavier Worthy earned exceptional PFF grade after breakout performance vs. Lions

Xavier Worthy earned the second-best PFF grade among rookie WRs after his exceptional performance in the #Chiefs’ loss to the #Lions.

Though the Kansas City Chiefs fell just short of victory in their one-point loss to the Detroit Lions over the weekend, the defending champions saw several players put together exceptional performances.

Patrick Mahomes dazzled fans with a tricky behind-the-back pass to Travis Kelce, but it was rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy who had a breakout game that caught the attention of the experts at Pro Football Focus.

On Monday, PFF announced that Worthy earned the second-best grade among all rookie receivers for his efforts in the second week of the preseason.

New York Giants pass-catcher Malik Nabers was the only first-year receiver to earn a higher grade, by less than one point.

Worthy faces high expectations heading into the 2024 season, and after his phenomenal showing against Detroit, the first-rounder seems set to have a huge impact on Kansas City’s offense.

Expect to see Worthy back in action when the Chiefs face the Chicago Bears on Thursday.

Chiefs vs. Lions: Xavier Worthy scores first NFL touchdown in Arrowhead debut

Xavier Worthy scored his first NFL touchdown during the #Chiefs’ preseason home-opener against the #Lions on Saturday afternoon.

The Kansas City Chiefs wasted no time finding the endzone on Saturday in their second preseason outing against the Detroit Lions.

The team worked hard in the offseason to revamp a struggling offense with the additions of wide receivers Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown and Xavier Worthy, adding speed to a team that needed a real deep threat. With Brown sidelined after an injury, Worthy has become a new favorite for quarterback Patrick Mahomes during the preseason.

Watch this video of wide receiver Xavier Worth splitting the Lions’ defense for his first NFL touchdown in the team’s Week 2 preseason game:

When the Chiefs drafted Worhy in the first round, the former Longhorn was expected to see plenty of meaningful snaps and compete for catches with sophomore wide receiver Rashee Rice.

Worthy will quickly become one of Mahomes’ top weapons if he can continue using his speed to evade defenders and find the endzone.

Chiefs vs. Lions: Mahomes, Worthy connect for big gain early

Patrick Mahomes found Xavier Worthy deep downfield in this highlight play from the #Chiefs’ preseason matchup against the #Lions on Saturday.

The Kansas City Chiefs are looking to bounce back against the Detroit Lions in their second preseason game after a 26-13 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1.

The Chief’s offense struggled last week but has shown signs of life in the team’s second outing. First-round pick Xavier Worthy has been a key target of quarterback Patrick Mahomes in the team’s first two games, where Worthy’s elite speed has been on full display.

Take a look at this video of Mahomes and Worthy connecting downfield for a huge gain in the first quarter of Saturday’s game against the Lions.

Though Mahomes and the receiving corps still have work to do without offseason addition Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown in the lineup, Worthy’s ability to separate from defenders will make him a top weapon for the back-to-back Super Bowl MVP.

Expect to see head coach Andy Reid draw up more plays like this to utilize Worthy’s speed.

Patrick Mahomes, Xavier Worthy connect for touchdown at Chiefs training camp

Patrick Mahomes connected with rookie WR Xavier Worthy for a long touchdown at #Chiefs training camp on Thursday.

The chemistry between quarterback Patrick Mahomes and rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy will be an integral part of the Kansas City Chiefs offense this season, and the pair have been building their rapport during training camp practices this week.

Worthy, drafted in 2024 after shining as a collegiate player with the Texas Longhorns and setting a new record for the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine, faces sky-high expectations for what he will contribute to the Chiefs receiving corps starting in his rookie season.

The rookie wide receiver was present at training camp on Wednesday for the final drills before Kansas City’s next preseason tilt. Fans in attendance saw Mahomes throw a long pass to Worthy which scored a touchdown.

A video of the dynamic duo’s was shared on the Chiefs’ official Twitter:

Kansas City’s new-look offense will play the Detroit Lions at Arrowhead Stadium this Saturday, ideally, they will bring this incredible deep passing game to their competition in the second match of the preseason for the Chiefs.

WATCH: Worthy makes insane grab at training camp

Watch this video from Tuesday’s practice posted to the Chiefs’ official Twitter account, where Worthy uses blazing-fast footwork to make a completion under aggressive blocking by Super Bowl champion safety Nazeeh Johnson.

While the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs prepare for their 2024 campaign there has been no shortage of highlights from their intense training camp in St. Joseph.

Fan-favorite rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy has made numerous appearances in those highlights, showing himself as a valuable addition to the Chiefs’ receiving corps and creating high expectations for his contributions to the new-look offense as they pursue another Super Bowl attempt in a dynasty of victory.

Watch this video from Tuesday’s practice posted to the Chiefs’ official Twitter account, where Worthy uses blazing-fast footwork to make a completion under aggressive blocking by Super Bowl champion safety Nazeeh Johnson.

Kansas City Chiefs fans are looking ahead to the exhibition match against the Detroit Lions this Saturday when Worthy is expected to return to the field, and the new-look offense will ideally be firing on all cylinders back at Arrowhead Stadium.

If the team can translate the explosive training camp highlights into real-world competition performance, the Kansas City Chiefs will certainly be worth watching in 2024.

Xavier Worthy opens up about making NFL debut vs. Jaguars

Xavier Worthy opened up about making his NFL debut in the #Chiefs’ loss to the #Jaguars during comments to reporters at training camp. | @EdEastonJr

As the Kansas City Chiefs’ first-round selection in this year’s NFL draft, Xavier Worthy knows his performance will be watched closely.

He shared his thoughts with reporters after practice on Monday on adjusting to life in the NFL, including training camp, the playbook, and his first pro game.

“The toughest challenge for the camp, I feel like, (is) just the playbook. I feel like I got really adapted to it. I’ve been in the playbook really all day (and) all night,” said Worthy. “Understanding the little bits, the formations, the motions. Understanding what everybody else has just so I could – what if I am in that position? So, just understanding all of that, I feel like that really helped me in this training camp.”

Worthy didn’t record a catch during Saturday’s preseason loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, but he did experience the speed of an NFL game.

“Coming into the league, it’s different speeds at all levels. High school has their own speed, college has their own speed,” Worthy explained. “Obviously, in the NFL, everybody is smarter; they move, (and) they adjust better. So just me knowing that I kind of just – if I feel like I had more plays, I’d be able to get a rhythm going into the game, but I feel like I adapted to the game speed pretty well.”

Worthy won’t have long to wait before he can play another game as the Chiefs return to action on Saturday at Arrowhead Stadium against the Detroit Lions.

Xavier Worthy ‘watched a lot of Devin Hester’ to prepare for Chiefs’ KR role

Xavier Worthy told reporters that he is watching film of #Bears legend Devin Hester to prepare for his role as the #Chiefs’ kick returner | @EdEastonJr

The addition of speedy wide receiver Xavier Worthy to the Kansas City Chiefs opens the door to more options to utilize him as a game-changer.

Worthy spoke with reporters after Monday’s practice, expressing his strong interest in being involved in punt returns.

“They kind of just took me off and sat me down for the day, but yeah, I’m ready to get my first punt return going,” said Worthy. “I wanted one of those punt returns for sure definitely. But they took us off the field, I was like dang, I can’t get a punt return; so I mean, it was messed up, but I understand.”

Worthy played sparingly in the preseason opener, as the focus was more on his performance as a wide receiver. He didn’t get the opportunity to return to the game but is expected to get chances during the regular season.

“I’m definitely gonna be back there returning,” said Worthy. “We watched a lot of Devin Hester; he just entered the hall of fame. Coach (Dave Toub) coached him. So it was amazing just to have a coach (who) coached him and understand the tools it takes to be great back there.”

Hester’s accomplishments as a punt returner earned him a spot in the Hall of Fame, which motivates the speedy Worthy as he continues to carve out a role on the team.