Andy Reid's 'Main Concern' Regarding Xavier Worthy's Development (and Why It Isn't Actually Concerning)

More than halfway through a solid rookie campaign, Xavier Worthy has shown plenty of growth. Now, Andy Reid has a simple "main concern" for Worthy to accomplish.

Nov 29, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy (1) runs with the ball against Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Darnay Holmes (30) during the first half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Kansas City Chiefs rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy has put up a productive stat line through the first 12 games of his NFL career, catching 33 passes for 407 yards and four touchdowns in addition to 11 carries for 49 yards and two more scores. Still, it's evident that Worthy has plenty of untapped potential as the Chiefs begin the final month of the regular season.

On Monday, following a solid game from the rookie speedster that resulted in five catches for 54 yards on seven targets, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid was asked about Worthy's progress and if Friday's game could be an example of how Worthy's role and comfort levels have grown within Reid's offense.

"He's getting better," Reid said. "I think that's what we all can see. It's not a secret, he's putting that out there for everybody to see, and so my main concern is that he just keeps doing that. That's what you want to do. Keep working to better yourself, and let's just see where it all ends up at the end. But he's doing a nice job, he's got the trust of the quarterback, he's got the trust of the coaches, he's playing fast, it looks like he's gotten his legs back from training camp and the early part of the season. All of that's positive stuff, but you've got to keep putting the product out there."

Despite a reasonable amount of first-year success, much of Worthy's debut season has been overwhelmed by discussions of near-misses between him and quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The pair has had a series of not-quite-touchdowns, with yet another deep miss on what could have been a game-sealing connection against the Las Vegas Raiders on Friday. However, Reid and Mahomes's stated trust in Worthy is more than just press conference fodder.

Worthy has played 63% of the Chiefs' offensive snaps through the first 12 games of his rookie season. That workload outpaces where then-rookie Rashee Rice was through the first two-thirds of the 2023 campaign. Rice ended the 2023 regular season with 622 offensive snaps, 55% of the Chiefs' total offensive reps. In 2024, Worthy has already taken 526 offensive snaps, good for 63% of the offensive opportunities — more snaps than any other wide receiver on the team.

On Friday, Xavier Worthy took 42 snaps. Justin Watson took 32. Why does that matter?
Worthy (526 snaps) has now taken the most reps of any Chiefs wide receiver this season, passing Watson (516).

— Joshua Brisco (@jbbrisco) December 2, 2024

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