The Kansas City Chiefs will roll into 2026 with virtually the same wide receiver corps as last season. That's not necessarily ideal, given how poorly the entire group produced and how hurt they'd been. Though things might finally be starting to take a turn for the better with new WRs coach Chad O'Shea in town.
An improvement at the helm will especially be the case if Xavier Worthy finally lives up to the expectations. The former first-round pick showed glimpses as a rookie, but he failed to take a leap in year two, presumably because of injuries.
But now that he's back to full strength, it didn't take long before O'Shea realized he could be special. As reported by Chiefs insider Charles Goldman of A to Z Sports, Worthy might be in for a career year.
It only took two weeks of OTAs for Xavier Worthy hype to skyrocket
"When you talk about Xavier Worthy, I knew he was fast, but when I work with him on the field in the drills, I try to throw as quick as I can with his running," O'Shea said. "He's not an error repeater. I've been very impressed with his ball skills."
The Chiefs will need Worthy to do plenty of heavy lifting. Travis Kelce should still be a factor in the end zone, but at 36 years old, he's no longer at the peak of his powers, so he may not be that involved in short and intermediate routes.
They also have a true big-play specialist in Tyquan Thornton, who will look to build on an impressive start to last season just before Rashee Rice's return bumped him back down in the pecking order. As for Rice, he's a major question mark, given his knee injury and potential suspension.
Andy Reid's team will need the former first-round pick to prove what he's got. He's one of the fastest players in the game, and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy should be able to find ways to get him involved in jet sweeps, quick throws, and find him space to operate. Utilizing Worthy in pre-snap motion should also keep opposing defenses honest and guessing.
The Chiefs didn't do much to help Mahomes get this team back to the playoffs this offseason, and that's an approach that could come back to haunt them when it matters the most. The AFC West will be highly competitive and much-improved, and it feels like they should've made a run at another pass-catcher.
That will only put even more pressure on Worthy's shoulders. And after two somewhat disappointing seasons as a pro, he won't get any slack or the benefit of the doubt. It's time for Xaier Worthy to prove he's more than just a speed demon and closer to a WR1 than a bust.
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