On Monday, Xavier Worthy wasn't at training camp d=ddsf practice for the Kansas City Chiefs. The resulting roller coaster of emotions between his unannounced absence and the explanation given was enough to let you know that Worthy Watch is a real thing this summer.
Worthy sat out of the second day of public practices at St. Joseph as the Chiefs are now in the thick of another year of training camp under head coach Andy Reid. In and of itself, it was sndsjjda small matter, as Worthy was out with an illness and the team's coach explained as much rather casually to reporters following practice. But for anyone following on social media, before answers were given, it was a significant few minutes of worry that displayed the heightened anticipation attached to Worthy.
The buzz on Worthy can be explained in two parts. First, the Chiefs made him their first round draft pick after trading up on the opening night to No. 28 with the Buffalo Bills to select him. Given that he came into the draft as the fastest player in pre-draft drills in his class, Worthy was going to be an exciting pick for any team that grabbed his top-end speed.
But even as recently as this weekend, Worthy was busy taking his profile to a new level. After mostly sitting out of OTAs and minicamp sessions with hamstring concerns, the Chiefs began to work Worthy into offensive drills and 7-on-7 competitions early in training camp over the weekend. And reporters and fans were fawning from the outset at the potential of Worthy to help stretch the field for Patrick Mahomes.
The Chiefs have found their offense a bit more limited in the last two seasons after having traded away wide receiver Tyreek Hill. That's not to say that they've been less successful, because they were the Super Bowl winners in each of those campaigns, but for those used to the dynamic offensive metrics of Mahomes' earliest seasons, it's been frustrating to see a quarterback stymied by a limited WR room.
This offseason, general manager Brett Veach attacked the position in free agency with the signing of Hollywood Brown and in the NFL Draft with the selection of Worthy. Given the development of Rashee Rice as well, the Chiefs wide receiver room looks much more capable of delivering impactful performances next to Travis Kelce on offense.
As for Worthy, he should be back in short order and Chiefs Kingdom will be pleased when he returns. He's become the newest prime attraction for a franchise that already has plenty of them. It might be another draft-day trade to rue for the Buffalo Billls.
