Chiefs Believe Xavier Worthy Could Make a Rookie Leap 'Similar to' 2023 Rashee Rice

As Worthy continues to get more reps, the Chiefs think their first-round rookie could be in for another jump down the stretch of the season.

Oct 27, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy (1) scores on a 9-yard touchdown reception against Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Jack Jones (18) in the second half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

One of the biggest stories of the Kansas City Chiefs' 2023-24 season was wide receiver Rashee Rice blossoming over the course of the year. Between Week 1 and the end of the campaign, the second-round pick grew within the offense and became a top-two target in the passing game.

With Rice out for the rest of his sophomore effort, could this year's rookie do something similar? No. 28 overall pick Xavier Worthy is experiencing a mixed bag of a debut with Kansas City, posting respectable stats but failing to make the overall impact many had hoped when he got drafted back in April.

Given the expectations for Worthy, how does the team feel about his prospects moving forward? Pass game coordinator Joe Bleymaier believes the first-year man is making progress and could be in for a developmental arc similar to Rice's a year ago.

"I think that's accurate, that's a good observation," Bleymaier said. "Regardless, I think, of what some of the stats say, last year with Rashee especially, each week he was growing and becoming more and more comfortable in both what we were doing and how it was best for him to be able to accomplish that. And very similar with Xavier, he comes in and you want to focus on what he's good at and then you want to give him complementary things. He's getting more and more comfortable in, kind of, those routes or those maneuvers against defenses that he maybe wasn't as comfortable with earlier in the season. That doesn't always show up on the stat sheet but as the season goes, that comfort level starts to show up with him winning routes and catching passes."

If Worthy were able to replicate that production, it'd be a truly impressive feat. Not many saw it coming for Rice through his first seven games. In Weeks 1-7 of last year, he had 34 targets and 26 receptions for 305 yards and three touchdowns. Entering the Chiefs' eighth game, Worthy is at 37 targets, 19 receptions, 235 yards and three scores. He also has a higher target share (24) in games five, six and seven than Rice did (15). To top it all off, he's gotten more snaps (296) than Rice (198) when comparing the starts as well.

The rest was history for Rice, who went on to finish with over 900 yards and seven touchdowns. Worthy, on the other hand, is being given more opportunities but failing to convert when facing man coverage or being thrown a bone by quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes doesn't have the same chemistry with Worthy yet. Bleymaier still thinks that even when the numbers don't show it, Worthy is winning in new ways.

"I wish we could go on the clicker and I'd show you all of them," Bleymaier said. "We'd be here all day. There are, where it's really savvy where he's setting a guy up and he's utilizing his speed not just to run by somebody and score a deep touchdown but also to stop and to change direction. And then to maneuver how defenses are playing him underneath where previously, he might've run into some traffic or got into a jam one way. He's maneuvering, he's recognizing that stuff, he's getting clean releases."

Just last month, head coach Andy Reid praised Worthy for being a "quick learner." From an effort or upside standpoint, there's no denying what he can do. A direct comparison to a rookie Rice seems flawed, especially given the differences in both players' duties within the offense. The traits – understanding coverages, improving hand-fighting, becoming more physical and learning from mistakes – can evolve similarly, though.

That's exactly what the Chiefs seem to be banking on as Monday night's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers approaches.

"All of that stuff, very similar to what you said," Bleymaier said. "Especially Week [9], I think we've got to start to continue to grow him with routes outside his comfort level and then that will be able to get him back to the stuff that he's really good at – giving the defenses different looks. That's kind of what we did with Rashee all of last year: continuing to give him the stuff he was great at and then challenging him and pushing the limits so the defenses couldn't just sit on one or two things. That's happening with Xavier."

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