Xavier Worthy injury update: Chiefs WR ruled out after Travis Kelce collision

Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy has been ruled out for the remainder of Kansas City’s season-opener against the Los Angeles Chargers. The second-year wideout left the game in the first quarter after suffering a shoulder injury.

Worthy went down on the Chiefs’ first drive of the game after colliding with tight end Travis Kelce on a crossing route. Worthy headed to the Chiefs’ locker room shortly after reaching the sideline. The team initially ruled him as questionable to return before announcing he wouldn’t be returning.

It’s a considerable loss for the Chiefs. Worthy was excellent in his debut NFL campaign last season, recording 59 catches for 638 yards and six touchdowns.

Worthy’s 638 receiving yards were the second-most for the Chiefs, only trailing Travis Kelce. Worthy is a dangerous down-field receiver. The Chiefs selected him with the No. 28 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft after he set the NFL Combine record in the 40-yard dash with a 4.21-second time.

Before entering the professional scene, Worthy spent three seasons at Texas. In 39 career appearances for the Longhorns, Worthy amassed 197 catches for 2,755 receiving yards and 26 touchdowns.

For his efforts, he was named an All-Big 12 First-Team selection twice and was the 2021 Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid raved about Worthy’s rookie season this spring.

“We learned Xavier is more than a deep threat. He also has the ability to do that and we probably could have tapped into that even more,” Reid said at the NFL combine. “I’m not sure we’ve tapped that out. I think there’s more, and that’s exciting.”

Reid wasn’t the only one who was happy with what he saw from Worthy last season. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes praised Xavier Worthy for immediately wanting to work upon his arrival in Kansas City.

“I always knew Xavier was going to be a great football player just because obviously the talent’s there but the way he works, I mean he gets after it,” Mahomes said. “He’s extremely smart. We put a lot on his plate, and he just wants more. He wants to continue to be better and be great for the football team.”

Now, Mahomes will have to find a way to move the ball down against the Chargers’ defense without the lightning-fast receiver on the field. Fans can tune into the Kansas City Chiefs’ season-opener on YouTube.