Sunday training camp notebook: Xavier Worthy should start faster in 2025

After Kansas City’s fifth training camp practice, the now-second-year receiver spoke to the media

On Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs held their first padded practice of training camp, a closer simulation of what they will face in the preseason — and eventually, the regular season.

This offseason, quarterback Patrick Mahomes and head coach Andy Reid have emphasized their desire to unleash the deep ball in 2025. Training camp’s padded workouts are a perfect training ground.

Second-year wide receiver Xavier Worthy will play a vital role in the club’s potential return to deep passing.

“He’s a part of that for sure,” said head coach Andy Reid. “We’ve got speed — the best we can utilize it — and we’ll still work our short to intermediate game as we go, but that’s all part of it.”

In what was an otherwise awful Super Bowl night for the Chiefs, Worthy said that the fourth quarter — in which he caught four passes for 74 yards (and a 50-yard touchdown) as part of a 157-yard night — provided him a boost of confidence going into this season.

Much like wide receiver Rashee Rice during his rookie season, the game had finally clicked for Worthy — with help from veterans like DeAndre Hopkins, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Travis Kelce and Mahomes.

“I feel like it started slowing down for me a little later in the year last year,” said Worthy. “I had those vets with me. I had D-Hop with me. I had JuJu. I had TK. So guys like that — and Pat — just obviously helped me understand coverages. And once you learn that, once you learn the coverages in the league and what guys are going to do, it all comes down to making a play.”

As a second-year player, Worthy has become a guiding light for fifth-round rookie Jalen Royals. With Rice likely to be suspended in the early weeks, he may be featured earlier in the year than we might normally expect.

“He’s a fast learner,” said Worthy of Royals. “He gets out there. He doesn’t make too many mistakes. Obviously, he’s a rookie, so he’s going to make a little bit of mistakes — a little bit of mental errors here and there — but he’s out there. He’s playing well. He’s doing good, and he’s taking advantage of his opportunities.”

Worthy explained that he arrived in St. Joseph with a deeper grasp of the playbook than he had last season, which should help him start faster in 2025.

“It’s another year in the offense,” he said, “so I have a better understanding for the plays, a better understanding for the zones [and] what teams are going to throw at me. [It’s] just understanding the schematics.”

In 2024, Worthy’s best stretch came from Week 11 to Week 17 — and then into the playoffs. Projected over 17 games, his 10-game pace would equal roughly 1,150 yards and 10 touchdowns.

If that’s how 2025 plays out, he wouldn’t just be the key to Kansas City’s deep passing game. He’d be considered among the NFL’s top receivers.

Injury report

• Returned to practice: OL Jawaan Taylor, TE Tre Watson
• Out of practice (due to injury): TE Jake Briningstool (out with hamstring since 7/26)
• Left practice early (due to injury): N/A
• Non-football injury (NFI) list: DL BJ Thompson
• Physically unable to perform (PUP) list: CB Kristian Fulton (out with knee since 7/22)

Post of the day

Our John Dixon compiled all of Sunday’s posts here. Here is the post of the day:

It’s a big season for No. 4.

Quote of the day

Andy Reid on what he loves about padded practices: “I like that second half of the practice. See how they push, how they retain, push, kind of push through that wall, start to kind of talk to yourself at the end there, and you find out who’s willing to keep it going.”

What’s next?

Sunday’s practice leads into another workout on Monday beginning at 9:15 a.m. Arrowhead Time. Offensive coordinator Matt Nagy will address the media following the practice as offensive and defensive linemen sign autographs.

Here’s the complete 2025 training camp schedule.