Matt Nagy Explains Excitement for Xavier Worthy-Patrick Mahomes Duo

Worthy may be missing practice, but his Sunday effort even got his offensive coordinator fired up for the season.

Oct 16, 2022; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback coach Matt Nagy watches as quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) warms up prior to a game against the Buffalo Bills at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports / Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

The first week of full-team training camp in St. Joseph, Missouri is off to a good start for the Kansas City Chiefs. That's even while multiple players deal with current or preexisting injuries, as well as an out-of-the-blue absence from rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy.

Kansas City's first-round pick is reportedly nursing a case of strep throat, which has led to him missing practice on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The back-to-back Super Bowl champs are off on Thursday in a mandatory rest period before pads come on Friday, so there's hope that Worthy can rejoin the team in the near future

Assuming this situation doesn't linger too much, the Texas standout should be just fine in the grand scheme of things. He got some work in on Sunday with fans in attendance for the first time this year, providing them with a glimpse into the present and future of Chiefs football. Worthy made a spectacular catch on a vintage throw from quarterback Patrick Mahomes, sending everyone into a frenzy.

That includes offensive coordinator Matt Nagy. Speaking to the media after Wednesday's practice, Nagy dove into why he got so amped up for the iconic play.

"I definitely got too excited for that play; I've got to control [and] contain my emotions a little bit," Nagy said. "But anyway, the throw, the play, the execution, it's exciting because it was really the first time we've had that type of play with Xavier. You get a guy that wants it so bad, Pat wants it to be able to connect with him so when that happens, especially early in the practice, it's a good feeling. What I think the biggest challenge was was the next day we came out, the defense got after us. As a unit, we've got to be better and make sure that we're consistent. We weren't consistent and we didn't follow that up."

GET USED TO IT 🔥

Mahomes scrambles to find Xavier Worthy DEEP for the touchdown pic.twitter.com/qqEQrwSuyO

— KC Sports Network (@KCSportsNetwork) July 21, 2024

The Chiefs are hopeful that Worthy, along with Marquise "Hollywood" Brown, can help lead a revamped receiving corps at the top. 2023 second-round pick Rashee Rice and steady veteran Justin Watson remain in place, as does Mecole Hardman, but the possibilities of this year's group are intriguing. Brown injects proven route-running chops and athleticism into the offense, giving Mahomes a trusted target. Worthy ran the NFL Combine's fastest 40-yard dash earlier this year, which played a major role in him being selected in round one.

No matter how high a player gets picked, though, he has to make progress during the offseason to experience a good rookie campaign. Kansas City knows that all too well, as a hamstring injury has already limited Worthy's availability during the offseason program. Just one practice into the real start of camp, he was already back on the shelf with another ailment.

Until he's ready to get back on the field, Nagy and Co. will continue to look ahead to a world with Worthy making more and more plays.

"Being able to get him out here when we can will be beautiful rep-wise [and] timing-wise," Nagy said. "The one day that he was out here, I think it was exciting to see and feel the speed but also the tracking of the football on some of those downfield throws. The timing element of staying on time with press that we're getting – our guys on defense press a lot. So just those guys understanding angles at [the] top of routes, and then I'd say the biggest thing is tracking. For the one time we were together for that day, it was really great to see and I think that's why we all got so excited, especially with Xavier."

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