Latest news with #XavierWorthy
Yahoo
9 hours ago
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Chiefs Chance For Another Super Bowl All About Being 'Electric'
Chiefs Chance For Another Super Bowl All About Being 'Electric' originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Kansas City Chiefs offense will be hoping to avoid the injury bug in 2025 after it swallowed Marquise Brown and Rashee Rice last season. Advertisement Having those two back, plus the improvement of Xavier Worthy, Juju Smith-Schuster, and the ageless Travis Kelce, Patrick Mahomes has a solid group to work with. Plus, the offensive line hopes to be in better shape, and the run game has an injection of speed with Brashard Smith and Elijah Mitchell. But after back-to-back so-so seasons of not having the explosive element to their offense, Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer thinks that with the return of several pieces from injury, it might just be rather good. "I've let it be known that I think the Chiefs offense could be electric this year," Breer wrote. "Hollywood Brown and Xavier Worthy playing together for a whole year changes everything, and, internally, the Chiefs believe Rashee Rice will be a top-end receiver. Tackle remains a question, but with Josh Simmons and Jaylon Moore arriving, they have options. So why shouldn't the Chiefs be back in the Super Bowl?" Kansas City Chiefs wide receivers Xavier Worthy and Marquise "Hollywood" BrownCharles LeClaire-Imagn Images The biggest concern for us is whether the Chiefs' receivers can stay healthy and the offensive line additions can mesh well, protecting Mahomes. Advertisement The unit gave up 47 sacks all of last year, by far the most ever for Patrick, and we saw how the offense operated without Rice and Brown. Get those two back, plus improved play from the offensive line, and who knows, become a little explosive in the run game, the Chiefs might have something cooking in 2025. Yes, that's a lot of ifs, but this Chiefs team deserves the benefit of the doubt until they fall off the proverbial cliff. ... and being "electric'' sounds Super Bowl-worthy to us. Related: Big-Talking Rival Pays 'Ultimate Respect' To Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes Related: Should Chiefs Sign 'Chain-Moving' Free Agent? This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
3 days ago
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Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes Projected To Have 2 Star Weapons In 2025
Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes Projected To Have 2 Star Weapons In 2025 originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Last season, the biggest knock on the Kansas City Chiefs was the lack of key weapons for Patrick Mahomes, and that, in part, led to an average offensive season. Advertisement Rashee Rice was injured in Week 4 and wasn't seen again, Marquise Brown didn't make an appearance until Week 16, Travis Kelce had a down year, and rookie Xavier Worthy only started making consistent plays mid-way through the year. So with Rice expected back, so too Brown, it is no wonder many are excited at the thought of what the Chiefs could be on offense in 2025. Some think Patrick could revert to the gunslinger who took the league by storm years ago. And it appears ESPN's Mike Clay thinks so, too. In his 2025 projections, Clay has Rice and Worthy both being Mahomes' key weapons. Rich is projected to have 1,100 yards and seven touchdowns from 98 receptions, while Worthy continues his ascension with 955 yards and seven touchdowns from 73 receptions. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes© Denny Medley-Imagn Images So Mahomes has nearly two 1,000-yard receivers along with Brown (699 yards, five touchdowns). If that were to happen, we believe the offense would experience a significant improvement in performance compared to last season. Advertisement Would it be a return to the glory days for Mahomes? Probably not, but he would certainly have more venom at his disposal. Rice coming back is huge for the offense, and Worthy's projected improvement gives Patrick a genuine deep-threat as Rice and Kelce take care of the short and intermediate routes. Rice and Worthy as Patrick's one-two punch in 2025 is something the Chiefs coaching staff would ideally want. Let's see if they get it. Related: Patrick Mahomes Disrespected By Two-Time Super Bowl Champion QB Related: Chiefs Rookie Receives High Praise From Eagles Legend This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 29, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
3 days ago
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Noah Lyles vs. Tyreek Hill race would be good for TV, but not competitive on the track
A few days after Xavier Worthy broke the NFL combine 40-yard dash record, USA TODAY Sports sarcastically asked the then-draft prospect if he thought he could beat Usain Bolt in the 40-yard dash. Bolt, the former Jamaican track and field superstar, eight-time Olympic gold medalist, and 100- and 200-meter world-record holder, effortlessly ran a 4.22 in the 40-yard dash in sweats and sneakers at the NFL Experience in 2019. Advertisement Worthy clocked in with an NFL combine record-setting time of 4.21 at the 2024 NFL scouting combine. 'No,' Worthy answered when asked if he could beat Bolt. 'His 40 was in shoes and sweats. There's no comparison. I'm not even gonna disrespect him.' MORE: What is the fastest NFL combine 40-yard dash time? Worthy's honest assessment applies to Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill, too. Hill and Olympic 100-meter champion Noah Lyles have playfully gone back and forth about competing against each other in a race. Their scheduled race was canceled in June due to what Lyles described as "complications" and "personal reasons." Advertisement The race would've been good publicity for both athletes and brought more casual fans to the sport of track and field. But let's stop the charade. Hill is not in the same league as Lyles or any world-class sprinter when it comes to speed. Hill did beat Lyles' younger brother, Josephus, in a 100 prelim at the ATX Sprint Classic on Saturday with a wind-aided time of 10.10. Hill conveniently elected not to run in the final, where the top five finishers all ran sub-10 seconds (all times were wind-aided). Hill, who competed in track and field in college, has a personal best legal time of 10.15 seconds in the 100 meters. The Dolphins wideout would've placed ninth at the 2024 U.S. Olympic track and field trials if he equaled his record. Hill's top mark in the 60 is 6.64. His record in the 60 would've been good enough for eighth in the event at the 2025 U.S. Indoor track and field championships. Advertisement Noah won a gold medal in the 100 at the Paris Olympics with a personal-best of 9.79. His lifetime best in the 60 is 6.43. Both times are comfortably ahead of Hill's all-time best marks. Furthermore, Noah's 10 best times in the 100 are sub-9.90. His top 10 times in the 60 are all 6.55 or better. All of which are faster than Hill's lifetime best in both events. The times don't lie. They reveal the obvious truth. Yes, the Noah Lyles vs. Tyreek Hill showdown would've been entertaining for sports fans. They are two of the biggest stars in their respective sports. But it wouldn't have been a competitive race. Advertisement Hill is arguably the fastest person in the NFL (although Worthy might have something to say about that). Lyles currently holds the title of the fastest man in the world, having won the Olympic gold medal in the 100. They are marquee athletes, but there's a distinct difference between football speed and world-class track speed. Follow USA TODAY Sports' Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tyreek Hill vs. Noah Lyles race would be entertaining, not competitive
Yahoo
7 days ago
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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.
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. originally appeared on Athlon Sports. 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. Advertisement 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. Advertisement "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. Advertisement 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.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Sport
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Chiefs' Xavier Worthy Predicted To Go 'Ballistic' In 2025
Chiefs' Xavier Worthy Predicted To Go 'Ballistic' In 2025 originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Kansas City Chiefs' offense last season left a lot to be desired, and that is an odd take considering the team was 15-2 in the regular season. Advertisement However, it was anything but easy, as the unit averaged just 22.6 points per game, partly due to injuries to Rashee Rice and Marquise Brown. Nevertheless, this meant others could step up. And one that did eventually was rookie Xavier Worthy. A slow burn initially, Worthy then exploded in the second half of the year to be one of Mahomes' go-to guys. And due to his growth, Bleacher Report names Xavier as one of the most underrated receivers in football. "During Day 1 of the 2024 draft, the Kansas City Chiefs pulled off one of the event's shrewdest maneuvers by trading up to No. 28 to secure speedster Xavier Worthy," Bleacher Report writes. Advertisement "Given that fantastic end-of-season run and subsequent playoff showing—Worthy was one of the Chiefs' best players during their run to the Super Bowl, catching 19 of his 21 targets for 287 yards and three scores in three postseason contests—it would be surprising if Worthy doesn't go ballistic during his upcoming sophomore season." Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy (1) and Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Cooper DeJean (33) Bill Streicher-Imagn Images Worthy struggled early, posting just more than 37 yards in a game twice in the opening nine outings. But he finished strongly, with at least 40 yards in his last seven games, plus three touchdowns. Xavier continued his good form in the playoffs, as he saw totals of 45 and 85 yards, and then a monster 157-yard, two-touchdown game in the Super Bowl loss. That'll do. Advertisement Now entering his second year, Worthy will have Rice and Brown back to full health (we hope), and that is quite the trio for Mahomes to work with. Is Worthy underrated? That is subjective. But if he continues his ascension in 2025, he won't be seen as overrated for much longer. Related: Can Chiefs Continue To 'Own' League In 2025? Related: Chiefs' Travis Kelce Receives Prestigious Award This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 25, 2025, where it first appeared.
