The Kansas City Chiefs will play one of the biggest games of their season in Week 6. They will host the red-hot Detroit Lions at Arrowhead Stadium and after dropping a game they should've won in Week 5, they simply cannot afford another shortcoming.
Unfortunately, they might not be at full strength for this high-flying matchup. Once again, second-year wide receiver Xavier Worthy has been a late addition to the injury report, and his status could be in danger.
Xavier Worthy Won't Practice on Thursday
"Chiefs say WR Xavier Worthy (shoulder/ankle) will not practice today," Jesse Newell of The Athletic reported on Thursday.
Worthy returned to action a couple of weeks ago. He made a big impact right out of the gate in Week 4, hauling in five receptions for 83 yards and adding two carries for 38 rushing yards. He was much quieter in the loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, logging six receptions for 42 yards and one carry for nine yards.
Still, his impact goes way beyond the numbers. He's the biggest play-making threat on the team, and not having him out there will put a lot of pressure on everybody else. The Lions' secondary is vulnerable to big plays, and he could be in for a big game if he suits up.
Then again, this might be just some precaution. The Chiefs are on a short week after playing Monday night, and they might be just erring on the side of caution and making sure to keep him fresh for when it actually counts. He won't need that many reps to be up to speed, and he clearly has strong chemistry with Patrick Mahomes.
Still, this is worrisome nonetheless. He missed time with a shoulder injury after catching some friendly fire in the season opener when he collided with Travis Kelce, and the ankle injury wasn't even mentioned until the flight to Jacksonville. Hopefully, this won't be a nagging concern for the remainder of the season.
Worthy isn't the biggest or bulkiest guy out there, and there were always some concerns about his durability and how he'd endure the wear and tear of the pros. So far, he hasn't done much to appease those concerns.
Rashee Rice's return from suspension is looming large. In the meantime, they will just have to hope that their second-best wide receiver can stay on the field and hold down the fort.