Patrick Mahomes Sets Extremely High Bar for Chiefs Rookie Receivers' Ramp-Up

Patrick Andres | Jul 18, 2024

Feb 12, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes speaks at the Super Bowl LVIII Winning Head Coach and Most Valuable Player Press Conference at the Super Bowl 58 media center at the Mandalay Bay North Convention Center. / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

More than two years have now lapsed since the Kansas City Chiefs traded wide receiver Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins.

On the one hand, the Chiefs have won Super Bowls in both of those seasons. On the other hand, Kansas City remains chronically devoid of pass-catching talent outside of future Hall of Fame tight end Travis Kelce.

The Chiefs may have been able to turn the water of an 11–6 season into wine in 2023, but there's no guarantee they'll be able to replicate that in 2024. That would appear to be why quarterback Patrick Mahomes is so intent on getting Kansas City's young crop of wideouts into tip-top shape this offseason.

"There's no easing," Mahomes said of wide receiver Xavier Worthy specifically via Henry McKenna of Fox Sports. "He's going to have to be ready to go. We got a lot of competition on this offense. He got a lot of mental work in these last few weeks that he had during OTAs and minicamp, but it's time to go now."

The Chiefs drafted Worthy 28th out of Texas in April, and appear already to have set expectations high.

"We're going to push you to the limit and prepare yourself to be ready to go for the season. That's not just him. That's everybody and everybody has to have that mentality when they come into camp," Mahomes said.

Worthy, for his part, concurred with the quarterback's sentiments.

"I definitely feel like there's no time to ease it. It's all go," he said.