Every athlete suffers from first-week jitters, and Xavier Worthy was no exception. During rookie camp on Saturday, the 22-year-old had to get used to how the Kansas City Chiefs train and, in addition, practice a few route drills.
The primary objective of a receiver is to catch the ball. One of the drills was to test how good the new recruits were. A pair of two lined up side by side while two coaches threw them passes.
Xavier Worthy stepped up and performed a few stuttered steps before getting ready to catch the ball. The pass was a little higher than he would have anticipated, so when he reached out, the ball bounced out of his hands.
Although he was wearing a helmet, his body language clearly conveyed his disappointment.
The Chiefs traded down one spot in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft to select the Texas Longhorns receiver. He was already killing it in college, but during the NFL Combine, he caught the country’s eye after setting the record for the 40-yard dash.
Worthy drew comparisons with former Chief Tyreek Hill. After the Super Bowl winner left, the Chiefs required someone who had pace and could catch the ball. However, the recent footage of dropping a pass in training has fans keeping him in the same bracket as Kadarius Toney.
He’s been working with Toney
— Steve (@SMC1174) May 4, 2024Those Texas receivers do have dropsies. Why the reaction to the trade to get him was laughable.
— T G (@Tguteli) May 5, 2024There’s something about chiefs receivers… I just can’t put my finger on it.
— South Valley Sports Cards (Joe) (@SouthValleySC) May 5, 2024The words don’t exactly match the clip lol
— Luke Peterson (@LukePetee12) May 5, 2024Lookin like kadarius toney 2.0
— Foess (@FantasyFoess) May 5, 2024I’d hate for my first day of a new job to be on camera only to go viral with people posting “FRAUD LMAOOO” in the comments https://t.co/FIFxk7g0n8
— Sourdeath Sam (@SourdeathSam) May 5, 2024Not to mention doesn't seem very quick or agile at all
— Bryan Nakashima (@B4KNOCKS) May 5, 2024Well, he did not have to face too many questions about the drop after the training session ended. Instead, the press brought up head coach Andy Reid, comparing his physique with that of former NFL WR DeSean Jackson.
Both have similar attributes: quick on their feet, great route runners, with an affinity for punt returns. There’s another aspect that both players shared: their weight. During his playing days with the Philadelphia Eagles (Coach Reid’s previous team), he weighed close to 170 pounds. Worthy revealed that watching the three-time Pro Bowler gave him confidence.
I weighed 169 pounds... D-Jack came into the league at 169 and understood his strengths, so just use your strengths to your strength.Xavier Worthy per Jordan Foote of SI.com
Worthy needs to cut down on his pass droppings. In the 2023 season, he had a drop rate of 6.3%, which was close to 4% lower than in 2022, in which he played half of the season with a broken hand. With Marquise Brown by his side, the Chiefs will be an even scarier prospect in 2024 as they gear up for a three-peat.
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