All Eyes on Chiefs' Xavier Worthy Ahead of Training Camp

Training camp for the Kansas City Chiefs gets underway on July 21 with the first practice on July 22. However, following the recent developments in wide receiver Rashee Rice's off-the-field case, which will likely lead to a suspension by the NFL, it's crucial that training camp treats second-year wide receiver Xavier Worthy well.

Worthy quickly became the Chiefs' number one wide receiving option once Rice went down to injury for the remainder of the season following a freak accident in Week 4 against the Los Angeles Chargers. While Worthy was being considered to be utilized in the kick/punt return game this season, those plans might have to be put on the back burner.

As the season progressed, Worthy became much more comfortable as the main target for quarterback Patrick Mahomes. However, as expected, his rookie season had its ups and downs. Going into his second season with the franchise and Mahomes, Worthy must remember what led him to success last season.

"The end of last year was kind of like a stepping stone for me," Worthy said to the media this offseason."Learning and getting a better feel for what Pat likes, and I started feeling like that at the end of the year. I understand the offense. I feel way more comfortable just being out there."

In 98 targets last season, Worthy had 59 receptions for 638 yards, while scoring six touchdowns. His reception rate sat at 60.2%, which is an area that Worthy needs to improve this season, should he be getting the same amount of targets as he did compared to last season.

The decision on how many games Rice will miss due to suspension hasn't been decided yet. However, throughout the course of training camp, Worthy's main focus can't be on what games he will be filling in for Rice in his absence, but rather on how he can take this opportunity to grow.

So long as Mahomes is manning the football, Worthy and the rest of the Chiefs' wide receivers should be confident that the ball will be placed in their hands whenever they are open. For Worthy, his speed must be an asset this training camp, proving that he can be successful wherever the Chiefs place him.

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