The Kansas City Chiefs are entering the 2026 campaign with a chip on their shoulder. That’s because, after finding their way to the AFC Championship Game in each of the first seven years of the Patrick Mahomes era, the Chiefs missed the playoffs entirely in 2025. Considering how much winning this team has done over the past decade, you can bet that development stung quite a bit.
Staying healthy is going to be a key piece of the puzzle for Kansas City, as the injury bug destroyed last year’s group. One of a handful of players who struggled to stay healthy last year was speedy wide receiver Xavier Worthy. All eyes have been on Worthy early on in training camp, and when discussing his injury woes last year, he issued an eye-opening statement.
Xavier Worthy Gets Real on 2025 Injury Woes
Kansas City selected Worthy with the No. 28 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, with the hope being he could properly replace Tyreek Hill after his departure from the team. While he has struggled for consistency early in his career, Worthy has flashed the sort of potential that helped convince the Chiefs to use a first-round pick on him.
It seemed like Worthy enjoyed a breakout game in K.C.’s losing effort in Super Bowl LIX, as he caught eight passes for 157 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Instead, he suffered a shoulder injury in Week 1 of the 2025 campaign, and while he still managed to suit up in 14 games, he failed to build off of his Super Bowl performance (42 REC, 532 YDS, 1 TD).
Much of the Chiefs’ success in 2026 is going to depend on whether Worthy and Rashee Rice can stay on the field for Mahomes and the team’s passing attack. So far in training camp, Worthy has looked good, and he admitted that his injury issues played a bigger role in his struggles last year than he and the team initially let on.
“Last year I was never 100%,” Worthy said when speaking to reporters. “I was never going to be 100% until I got the surgery. So, I got the surgery. Been working on it, building muscle mass, working at it in the offseason, getting stronger and building that shoulder back.”
Chiefs Have High Hopes for Xavier Worthy in 2026
GettyKansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy changed the spring narrative after early injury concern.
We’ve seen in the past what the Chiefs can do with speedy playmakers at their disposal, and if Worthy can stay healthy, he could wind up being one of the most dangerous weapons in the league. Not much went right for Kansas City’s offense as a whole last year, so when you add in Worthy’s shoulder injury, it’s tough to harp too much on his struggles.
The 2026 campaign is going to be different, though. This team is intent on at least finding its way back to the playoffs, but again, much of that will depend on Worthy and Rice at the wide receiver position. While Rice is dealing with his own share of on-and off-field struggles, the Chiefs can take solace in the fact that Worthy has looked solid in the opening days of training camp.
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