Tag: Xavier Worthy

Chiefs WR Xavier Worthy talks return after hamstring injury: “I’m here, I’m ready to work”

Kansas City #Chiefs WR Xavier Worthy talks return after hamstring injury: “I’m here, I’m ready to work” | @EdEastonJr

The Kansas City Chiefs rookie class, with its versatility and highly touted skillsets, should significantly contribute to the team’s progress this season.

The expectations are high for Chiefs first-round pick Xavier Worthy and his skillset fitting into the offense. He spoke with reporters on Wednesday about his hamstring injury and taking the time off the field to study the playbook.

“It’s very important to me. In college, I never missed a game or had any injuries,” said Worthy. “So just having that happen, I mean, like I said, it’s kind of frustrating, but I got a chance to learn and get better in a different way, learning the playbook. So, I mean, it was good for me.”

Worthy was a spectator during off-season minicamp activities due to the nagging injury, but he believes he’s good to go during training camp.

“I’m as good as I could be right now, obviously, still working my way back into things, but I’m here.” said Worthy, “I’m ready to work.”

Worthy also strongly indicated that he’d be healthy enough to play this week if there were a game.

NFL minicamp updates for a pair of former Texas Longhorns

ESPN shares brutally honest rookie updates for former Longhorns Xavier Worthy and Byron Murphy II

When Steve Sarkisian took over the Texas Longhorns football program ahead of the 2021 season he knew that getting back to the top of the college football mountain would be no easy task.

Year one made that challenge quite evident as the team went 5-7 on the year and finished an abysmal 3-6 in the Big 12. While Sarkisian shouldered the majority of the blame, the fact of that matter is the roster he inherited just wasn’t good enough as the Longhorns had zero players selected in the 2022 NFL draft.

In just two years, all of Sarkisian’s hard work is coming to fruition as the Longhorns head into the 2024 season with arguably the best roster in all of college football. During that time, Sarkisian guided Texas to a 20-7 record with a Big 12 title and College Football Playoff berth in 2023 as well as some of the best recruiting classes in the country.

Now, heading into his fourth year, Sarkisian is really starting to turn Texas into an NFL factory as he just had two players selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft in DT Byron Murphy II and WR Xavier Worthy.

Murphy was selected No. 16 overall by the Seattle Seahawks and has blown away the coaching staff in the Pacific Northwest so far. Current Seahawks defender Leonard Williams had plenty of positives to say about his new teammate.

“He understands the game already, which is really nice to see. A lot of times you see first-rounders, rookies … they have all the physical attributes but they still have to kind of learn football a little bit. Williams continued, “Whereas he seems like he kind of has that under wraps already. So they did a good job over there at Texas teaching him football. Also, he’s just a hard worker. That’s the No. 1 compliment I can give somebody is that they work hard.'”

However, the most shocking move of the 2024 draft came when the Buffalo Bills traded out of their No. 28 overall selection and allowed their AFC rival Kansas City Chiefs to move into their slot and select the new 40-yard dash record holder, Xavier Worthy.

Adam Teicher says of Patrick Mahomes’ new weapon, “Worthy did not practice for much of the offseason because of a sore hamstring so the Chiefs didn’t get an extensive look at him. The Chiefs said they were being cautious and that barring a setback he should be good to go at training camp. Worthy had an up-and-down performance at the team’s rookie camp shortly after he was drafted. He dropped some passes the first day but responded with some big plays at the next practice.”

Contact/Follow us @LonghornsWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Sam Murphy on Twitter @SamMurphy02.

Former Texas WR Xavier Worthy signs rookie contract with Chiefs

Kansas City Chiefs and former Longhorns WR Xavier Worthy agree to four-year contract deal

Even though he wasn’t selected until No. 28 overall, former Texas Longhorns WR Xavier Worthy may have been the luckiest player who was selected in the 2024 NFL draft.

Of course, everyone wants to be a top-ten pick and to earn as much money as possible, but landing on the Kansas City Chiefs with Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid far exceeds that.

Worthy only spent three years in Austin before turning pro, but he was a huge piece of the offense since his first year on campus. He was named the Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year in 2021 and two-time first-team All-conference. In 39 career games with Texas, Worthy had 197 receptions for 2,755 yards and 26 touchdowns.

Despite winning back-to-back Super Bowls, the Chiefs have struggled to find much success at receiver since trading away Tyreek Hill. Worthy will draw comparisons to Hill because of their game-changing speed.  It will be exciting to watch how he is used in the Kansas City offense.

Coming off the Super Bowl title the Chiefs were slated to pick No. 32 overall. In one of the more shocking moves of the draft, Kansas City traded with the Buffalo Bills to move up to No. 28. They selected Worthy despite the Bills also being in dire need of pass catchers.

Over two months have passed since the draft ended, but the Chiefs and the NFL 40-yard dash record holder have officially agreed to a four-year contract worth nearly $13.8 million.

Contact/Follow us @LonghornsWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Sam Murphy on Twitter @SamMurphy02.

Matt Nagy explains the evolution of Chiefs’ deep passing game

#Chiefs OC Matt Nagy told reporters about the evolution of Kansas City’s deep-passing game during a press conference this week.

2023 was an abnormal year for the Kansas City Chiefs offense and Patrick Mahomes, who struggled to connect with receivers deep down the field.

During a media availability session on Thursday, Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy spoke to reporters about the effort that Kansas City’s coaching staff put in to develop more explosive plays for Mahomes and his speedy new pass-catchers.

When asked about the deep ball specifically, Nagy explained that he and his staff have made a point to innovate and rethink their approach.

“There was quite a bit,” Nagy said about his work on the deep passing game.  “It’s a unique question because we always try to go into every year with that mindset. You want to have the initiative to be great at that and practice it from day one. We’ve had some success early on, we’ve got to keep it going, but it’s a mindset.”

Over the past few seasons, defenses have been playing deeper coverage against the Chiefs, causing Mahomes to throw more underneath routes and drive more methodically down the field.

Nagy acknowledged the strategy, but made it clear that he wants Mahomes and the rest of his offense to be cautiously aggressive against deeper coverages.

“I think we’ve seen an evolution – not just against the Chiefs in recent years but also the NFL in general – the deep shots aren’t there as much,” Nagy continued. “[We] just [want to have] that balance of being able to… have that touchdown to check-down mentality, but be smart with when we do take those shots.”

The explosive passing attack was almost non-existent for the Kansas City’s offense last season, as the Chiefs’ receivers struggled to create separation down the field.

With the additions of Marquise Brown and Xavier Worthy, Mahomes should have ample opportunities to challenge opposing defenses.

Former NFL exec says Patriots wanted this rookie WR ‘badly’

The Bills blocked the Patriots from possibly going after this playmaking receiver

The New England Patriots are believed to have wanted to move back up the board late in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft.

Former NFL executive and Patriots assistant Michael Lombardi appeared on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Friday and claimed New England was initially interested in trading up to No. 28 on the draft board with the Buffalo Bills.

However, the Bills passed up their trade offer for a deal with the Kansas City Chiefs. Per Lombardi, the Patriots had their sights on Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy, who was ultimately taken by the Chiefs.

“[Buffalo] had an opportunity to take a deal from New England. New England was in high-speed pursuit of Worthy,” said Lombardi. “They wanted Worthy badly. They were making calls to get that pick, and Buffalo had them on the phone.

“And so was Kansas City. I think if you’re [Bills general manager] Brandon Beane, you have to sit there and say, ‘Yeah, maybe Kansas City offered me a lot more. But why would I give Worthy to them, who’s a weapon—who could become the next Tyreek Hill for them? …Why am I doing anything to help the Chiefs, especially since I lost to them with 13 seconds, since I missed a 44-yard field goal to send a game into overtime. Like, I haven’t been able to get through that door.”

Worthy is an explosive playmaker who set a new 40-yard dash record at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine. His speed was the top selling point, and it would make sense that a Patriots team initially lacking in explosive talent would have been interested in making that move on draft night.

With that said, there have been speedy talents in the past that haven’t quite lived up to the hype. So time will tell if the Patriots are worse or better off for not getting that pick.

The career trajectories of rookies Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker should also be factored into the equation. If one or even both of those players take off, it’ll turn this proposed trade into a distant memory.

New Orleans Saints game previews: Week 5 at Kansas City Chiefs

New Orleans Saints game previews: Week 5 brings a prime time challenge against the reigning Super Bowl-champion Kansas City Chiefs

For Week 5 of our New Orleans Saints game previews, we’ve reached the team’s toughest test of the season. Monday Night Football against the defending Super Bowl-champion Kansas City Chiefs in KC. An early-season matchup against the best player in the world, Patrick Mahomes, in front of a nationwide audience. Doesn’t get any better than this.

Coming into the 2024 season, Kansas City returns a lot of the members of their Super Bowl team except for a few areas where there’s a bit of turnover. The most notable spot is on the defensive side of the ball where the team agreed to a trade with the Tennessee Titans earlier in the offseason to send Louisiana native, star cornerback L’Jarius Sneed to Nashville, weakening their defensive back room. The team also elected to not re-sign linebacker Willie Gay Jr. who played a pivotal role for their team over the course of his career. On offense, the wide receiver position will look a lot different for Patrick Mahomes and Co.

The team’s front office came into the offseason with an emphasis on speed which was reflected in their additions. Former Arizona Cardinal first round pick Marquise Brown agreed to a one-year deal with the team worth $7 million at the start of free agency. The team went on to add at that spot a couple months later when Texas receiver Xavier Worthy was selected by the team with their first round selection in the draft. The two combined have recorded sub-4.3 40-yard dash times in their pre-draft processes, making them one of the fastest duos in the entire league.

As far as the numbers are concerned, last season the Chiefs put together top ten units on both sides of the ball. Offensively, the team was ranked 8th in yards per game (351.3) just behind the Philadelphia Eagles. Defensively, the team was ranked 2nd in yards allowed (289.8) only behind the Cleveland Browns who sat atop the league. It is easy to see this and say their could be some fluctuation on each side. Gaining a couple of these speedsters on offense along with Rashee Rice and Travis Kelce could give the team a boost on offense. It is also easy to see that the team no longer has one of the league’s top corners on their team which could hurt them a little bit going into this season.

When it comes to the all-time series history of these two teams, the Chiefs currently hold the edge winning 7 of their 12 matchups dating back to their first one in 1972. The Chiefs have won the last three games against the Saints, all of which were one-score games. The Saints will now have an opportunity to end this streak of wins by the Chiefs but it will be an uphill battle for sure.

  • Game information: Kansas City Chiefs vs. New Orleans Saints
  • Location: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Mo.
  • Date: Oct. 7
  • Time: 7:15 p.m. CT / 8:15 p.m. ET
  • TV Channel: ESPN

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Xavier Worthy, Bijan Robinson among NFL’s 100 most important players in 2024 season

Not too surprising to see a pair of former teammates on this list.

While the 2024 college football season is just under 100 days until kick off, the NFL is at 100 days until they start the season. Former Texas Longhorn Xavier Worthy will be in action on Thursday, Sept. 5 when we get a rematch of the AFC title game. On Sept. 22, Worthy and the Chiefs will face off with former Texas running back Bijan Robinson in Atlanta.

According to CBS Sports, these former Texas Longhorns teammates are among the 100 most important players next season.

Starting at No. 100 we have the former Doak Walker Award winner, Bijan Robinson.

Bijan Robinson will continue to rack up the yards

John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

What CBS Said:

Bijan Robinson had moments of brilliance during his rookie season, accumulating nearly 1,500 scrimmage yards despite ceding a lot of touches to other players and seeing his role wax and wane. Robinson will run behind a good offensive line and under new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, a part of the Sean McVay coaching tree. That’s good news for all parties involved. Expect Robinson to be busy as a runner and as a pass catcher.

What We Say:

It shouldn’t come as a shock to anyone who watched Bijan Robinson during his Longhorns tenure to see him continue to prosper at the next level. He racked up 1,463 yards from scrimmage and eight touchdowns in his rookie season. Unless something unforeseen happens, I wouldn’t figure on a sophomore slump coming for the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year. With an improvement at quarterback, I expect his numbers to grow.

Xavier Worthy is going to be counted on

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

What CBS Said:

Speaking of that supporting cast, Marquise Brown and Xavier Worthy are the big new additions. Brown has injury issues, but he also has experience, speed and production (a 91-catch, 1,008-yard 2021 season) to step in as the Chiefs’ top option out wide. Kansas City was enamored with Worthy and his history-making speed to trade up for him near the end of the NFL Draft. Both will be key, especially with the pending punishment awaiting Rashee Rice. If/when Rice returns, he provides a big, physical, yards-after-catch aspect.

What We Say:

It was a little surprising to see Xavier Worthy checking in at No. 4 on CBS’ list but at the same time, the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs are revamping their passing attack. Worthy brings top-end speed that quarterback Patrick Mahomes can use to his advantage. It remains to be seen how quickly they mesh when the 2024 NFL season kicks off.

Rookie projections for former Texas WRs Xavier Worthy and AD Mitchell

These two receivers should be very valuable during their rookie campaigns.

It was quite the offseason for the Texas Longhorns when it came to the NFL draft. A total of 11 players were selected in the 2024 NFL draft with seven coming on the offensive side of the ball.

The first Texas player selected, Byron Murphy II, was the second defensive player drafted after the first round opened with 14 consecutive players on offense hearing their name called.

The second player from Texas selected came late in round one when the Kansas City Chiefs selected Xavier Worthy. Fellow wide receiver AD Mitchell would get taken by the Indianapolis Colts with the No. 52 overall selection, late in round 2. Gadget wide receiver and running back Jordan Whittington had to wait until round 6 to hear his name called.

The former two receivers are projected to be productive players in their rookie season according to Bleacher Report.

Xavier Worthy, Kansas City Chiefs

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Projected Rookie Stats:

Rec Yards TDs
54 736 3

Worthy was one of two Longhorns selected in the first round when the Kansas City Chiefs moved up to snag him with the No. 28 overall selection. He brings a dynamic flavor to the two-time defending Super Bowl champions with his ability to catch the ball and return kicks.

The Chiefs need to get some consistency from the wide receiver position so that tight end Travis Kelce doesn’t have to carry the load for the offense. Worthy can help in that regard once he gets acclimated to the offense and the NFL.

AD Mitchell, Indianapolis Colts

Jay Janner/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK

Projected Rookie Stats:

Rec Yards TDs
37 479 3

After sliding to the second round, standout wideout Adonai Mitchell received the call he was waiting on when the Indianapolis Colts made him its next selection. Mitchell will join the Colts and hopefully become a go-to weapon for last year’s first-round selection, Anthony Richardson.

Richardson only appeared in four games before needing season-ending surgery on his should. Mitchell has dealt with his own injury issues over his collegiate career. In 2023, Mitchell had the most productive season with 55 receptions for 845 yards and 11 touchdowns.

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Exploring how many five-star WR Texas will land in 2025 recruiting class

We look realistically at Texas’ five star receiving targets.

Texas is trending for three five-star wide receiver targets. Some indicate the Longhorns are in the lead for two if not all three.

The players under consideration are Dakorien Moore, Kaliq Lockett and Jaime Ffrench. All are among the top five receivers and Top 20 overall players in the country according to On3 Sports.

Moore, the nation’s top receiver and No. 3 overall player according to On3 Sports, has long been considered a natural fit at Texas. Playing alongside former Duncanville teammates in edge Colin Simmons and defensive tackle Alex January and another former Duncanville player in offensive tackle Cam Williams would seem to make the decision easier.

There’s a good chance Texas will sign a five-star receiver. It’s what they have done since Steve Sarkisian took over as head coach regardless of who is the wide receivers coach. The Longhorns have signed a receiver with a five-star rating from at least one recruiting site in three of Sarkisian’s four classes. That number includes Xavier Worthy (On3), Johntay Cook (247Sports composite) and Ryan Wingo (247Sports).

Receivers are drawn to Sarkisian’s scheme, which is perhaps the best in college football right now. It makes sense that at least one of the players should choose the Longhorns, and my guess would be Dakorien Moore who has seemed fond of Texas for awhile.

The flip side is that NIL changes the nature of recruiting. For example, Jaime Ffrench is set to visit Tennessee who has done well at recruiting top players since the beginning of the NIL era. Texas will push to get all three and would certainly become a stronger title contender if they made it happen. Even so, other teams could potentially offer more NIL deals, playing time and targets to one player than the Longhorns will be able to offer to all three.

The reality is, teams like Tennessee, Texas A&M and Ohio State can go all in on one player, like the Volunteers did to get starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava while nearly everyone else recruited Texas quarterback Arch Manning. Texas’ title pitch will still be strong.

If all three were to choose the Longhorns, the wide receiver depth chart would feature five players with a five-star rating in Johntay Cook, Ryan Wingo, Dakorien Moore, Kaliq Lockett and Jaime Ffrench. Add in players like DeAndre Moore, Ryan Niblett and Matthew Golden, who I expect to return for 2025, and it would be tempting to run a whole lot of empty formation with five receivers.

It’s likely some teams are going to zero in on Lockett and Ffrench and pitch building their team around either receiver. That said, should multiple five-star receivers choose the Longhorns, NFL scouts’ eyes should be glued to Austin.

Texas should sign one five-star pass catcher. We’ll see if it adds more.

Patrick Mahomes, Trent McDuffie excited about Chiefs’ new-look offense

Patrick Mahomes and Trent McDuffie both commented on the renaissance of the deep ball at practices during the #Chiefs’ OTAs.

During the 2024 offseason, the Kansas City Chiefs added speed to their offense, which was desperate for a dependable weapon to take the top off of opposing defenses.

By signing veteran Marquise Brown in free agency and selecting Xavier Worthy in the NFL draft, general manager Brett Veach seems to have solved Kansas City’s offensive woes, at least on paper.

During organized team activities this week, the unit has shown its confidence in the deep ball. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes and cornerback Trent McDuffie both told reporters that the Chiefs’ offense is looking more explosive during their media availability sessions on Wednesday.

“I think y’all saw today we tried to throw a few more deep passes, get back to the deep game,” Mahomes explained. “I think we’ve done a great job of mastering the intermediate and short stuff, but we want to get back to having that part of the offense as well. [Head] Coach [Andy Reid] is really pushing us to push it down the field – it’s hard to do against our defense but we’re trying to make it happen.”

McDuffie echoed these comments, emphasizing how often Mahomes is looking to take shots down the field.

“Man, [the offense] is rolling,” Mcduffie said. “Y’all saw today, Pat [Mahomes] is just back there throwing it deep play after play.”

Kansas City’s offense was tough to watch and lifeless at times last season, and there were instances when it seemed that Mahomes lacked confidence in some of his counterparts.

Mahomes and the rest of the offense are focused on flipping that narrative this season, which has been evident through the first few days of practice.