Xavier Worthy Injury Update: Andy Reid Shares Latest on Chiefs WR
The Kansas City Chiefs are coming off one of the most disappointing seasons of the last decade after missing the playoffs for the first time in Patrick Mahomes' era in 2025, and the lack of explosiveness on offense was a major reason behind the slump.
The Chiefs started the season with a 5-3 record before collapsing down the stretch and ultimately finishing 6-11 after Patrick Mahomes suffered ACL and LCL tears in Week 15.
While Mahomes still posted decent numbers, throwing for 3,587 yards and 22 touchdowns, he lacked consistent big-play targets, with an early injury to wide receiver Xavier Worthy certainly making things more difficult.
Worthy collided with teammate Travis Kelce in the 2025 regular-season opener against the Los Angeles Chargers in Brazil, and although he appeared in 14 games that season, the former Texas receiver revealed he battled the injury all year. He eventually underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum during the offseason and has now returned to practice.
Head coach Andy Reid confirmed Thursday that Worthy "had a couple of things cleaned out" this offseason on his left shoulder and is back at offseason practices, though he was wearing a non-contact jersey.
#Chiefs WR Xavier Worthy "had a couple of things cleaned out" this offseason and has had a non-contact jersey on, per HC Andy Reid.
— Arye Pulli (@AryePulliNFL) May 28, 2026
It was a left shoulder procedure. pic.twitter.com/XM1dMyJ0ou
While the practices are non-contact anyway, Worthy's jersey certainly signals he is not 100% yet, though Reid stressed that the third-year receiver is doing a nice job working his way back.
"He's really doing a nice job. He's working like crazy at it. I think he feels more comfortable now. We just don't want to take any steps back," Reid told reporters.
Worthy also suffered an ankle injury in Week 5 and clearly took a step back in terms of production last season, finishing with just one touchdown and 532 receiving yards.
Before entering the NFL, Worthy garnered attention after recording the fastest 40-yard dash in NFL Combine history at 4.21 seconds. He was selected 28th overall by the Chiefs, and went on to rack up 59 receptions for 638 yards and six touchdowns as a rookie.
Though he took a step back due to injuries last season, the 23-year-old still profiles as an important part of the Chiefs' wide receiver room, and his health is even more crucial as Kansas City is expected to remain without Rashee Rice for the foreseeable future after he also underwent knee surgery before being sent to Dallas County Jail.
Beyond those two, the Chiefs have Jalen Royals and Tyquan Thornton on the roster, and both should receive extended opportunities whenever either player misses time. Kansas City also has rookies Cyrus Allen, Jeff Caldwell, Jacob De Jesus, Omari Evans, and Xavier Loyd on the roster as depth options.
Related: Andy Reid Shares Update on Patrick Mahomes' On-Field Progress
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This story was originally published May 29, 2026 at 7:30 AM.