Xavier Worthy was lone bright spot for Chiefs in Super Bowl collapse

Of course, there's the caveat that most of Worthy's yards came in the second half while the Chiefs were still trailing by double digits. Even his highlight reel touchdown was during garbage time against the Eagles' backups. Still, it's that explosive play potential that the Chiefs will need next season. 

The Chiefs offense sputtered out thanks to bad performances across the board, but it wasn't a dominant unit in the regular season. Per NFL Next Gen Stats, the Chiefs were not likely to make explosive plays — defined as runs of at least 10 yards or passes of at least 20 yards — as their explosive play rate of 10.6% was 31st in the NFL. This rate did jump up to 16.8% in the playoffs, but the explosiveness did not show up on Sunday when it mattered.

Worthy was mainly the lone bright spot in generating big plays this season with his speed and the creativity with which head coach Andy Reid got him the ball. However, Worthy recorded 638 receiving yards and scored six touchdowns in the regular season, but his experiences this year will be more important to the Chiefs moving forward. 

"I gotta give all credit to my guys in the room," Worthy said in a news conference when asked about his second touchdown catch. "And Pat for believing in me, just putting the ball up there, and trusting me to make a play."

If the Chiefs can continue to help Worthy develop into their No. 2 wide receiver, he won't just be a deep threat but a weapon that can be deployed and trusted all over the field. Assuming No. 1 wide receiver Rashee Rice recovers from his season-ending knee injury, Mahomes will have a dangerous wide receiver duo that wasn't at his disposal in 2024. 

Worthy's development won't mean much if the Chiefs can't fix their offensive line and address the cracks in their roster that were fully exposed against the Eagles, but it's important nonetheless. If Worthy takes the next step next year, the Chiefs could follow him, too.