Kansas City Chiefs fans were finally given a bit of good news at the receiver position this week with Xavier Worthy being a full participant in practice. Barring any setbacks, the pass catcher is poised to return to the lineup on Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens. Regular-season games between the two sides are always closely fought, and having one of your primary receivers back in the lineup is undeniably exciting. With that said, the Chiefs still have plenty of reason for concern when it comes to Worthy.
Dislocating your shoulder is an injury that will take time to heal. Having the same issue a second time isn't uncommon, as it is more likely to happen after the initial injury. With this in mind, the Chiefs must be preaching to Worthy that the upcoming weeks are simply about utilizing his speed. There is zero reason to fight for extra yards or absorb hits if the game isn't on the line in that specific moment.
Chiefs WR Xavier Worthy Must Protect Himself from Re-Injuring Shoulder
As the shoulder continues to get stronger, Worthy needs to focus on being an outlet who uses his speed to get open before hopping out of bounds or down as soon as contact is close. Patrick Mahomes needs to understand this as well, not throwing his receiver into trouble or setting him up to take a big hit. To put it simply, even before the shoulder injury, Worthy wasn't built to absorb this type of contact.
Part of the reason the receiver slipped to the Chiefs in the draft was due to concerns about how he would hold up physically against NFL contact. Skill position players with smaller builds, like Worthy, rarely translate into great playmakers at the next level. While there are exceptions to this, Worthy has quickly been an example of why fans and pundits were concerned about the fit.
This illustrates why it is important for Worthy to understand that his approach must be adjusted in the weeks to come. This doesn't mean that come playoff time, you don't fight for yardage or pick your spots to fight for the extra yards at the end of the year. Rather, understanding right now isn't the time for those efforts. Protecting Worthy's health needs to come above all else.
Worthy's speed and big-play ability are far too valuable to risk in early regular-season games. This is a point that Andy Reid and the rest of the coaching staff must drive home ahead of a big matchup with the Ravens. No question, Worthy must understand that if he is going to stick around in the lineup, protecting himself must be the number one priority.