Xavier Worthy proved he can do a little bit of everything for the Kansas City Chiefs offense in his rookie season, but special teams coach Dave Toub believes the young speedster could be contributing his talents in another phase of the game.
It did not take long for the Kansas City Chiefs' best kept secret to become a known problem for the rest of the league. In fact, the Chiefs had such trouble keeping this closed to their vest that it came out in Week 1.
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The league got to know wide receiver Xavier Worthy pretty fast after his two-touchdown debut lifted the Chiefs to a season-opening win over the Baltimore Ravens. Worthy showed in that game that he could make things happen both catching and running with the ball.
Worthy was already set to play a key role in the Chiefs offense, but injuries to Hollywood Brown and Rashee Rice increased the burden on his young rookie shoulders. Needless to say he came through for the team in some pretty big spots.
That has since promoted him to the No. 2 spot behind Rice heading into next season. Chiefs fans are hoping to see more of that dynamic ability helping the offense once again, but they could get a little more at the same time.
Kansas City special teams coach Dave Toub boldly asserted that Worthy is among the best punt returners in the league.... fans just don't realize it yet.
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"He'll be in the mix,' Toub said. 'Now, if you remember Worthy, you know he was going to be our guy. He planned on being our guy until Rashee Rice got hurt, and that changed everything for that dynamic.
"He ended up being the number one [receiver] for us last year, so we couldn't afford to have him back there. I say he's the best punt returner nobody knows about right now in the league, and that's Worthy, so hopefully we get him back there, too.'
From Toub's seat, it's hard not to want a player like Worthy returning kicks. Worthy's speed and shiftiness in space make him an ideal candidate to return punts for the Chiefs.
Going further to make the case, Worthy did return punts while at the University of Texas. His final season saw his best numbers with 371 yards on 23 returns with one touchdown to show for his work.
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There's no final answer here on Worthy playing both offense and special teams though it would be a fascinating experiment to see if his ability could translate into a tangible improvement for the Chiefs in that area. And if he can, he would be a strong candidate for the job.
On other side of it though, caution may win out. The Chiefs lost two of the primary receiving threats for the majority of last season and anything that could jeopardize Worthy's campaign may not be worth the risk.
Related: Patrick Mahomes Reveals One Thing Driving Chiefs' Offseason
Related: Chiefs' Xavier Worthy Proves He's Not A One-Trick Pony
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
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