Arrowhead Pride
Chiefs position spotlight: Wide receiver questions, concerns and battles | The Kansas City Star
Throwing deep: Xavier Worthy and Tyquan Thornton
Players have a tendency to be more forthcoming about injury-related struggles a year later.
That happened with Xavier Worthy, who admitted in June that he was limited throughout 2025 by the shoulder injury he suffered when he collided with Kelce just three plays into the season. With three fewer appearances, Worthy’s production dipped from 742 scrimmage yards as a rookie to 619 in 2025.
After offseason surgery, Worthy should enter training camp closer to full strength, which will allow Reid to make use of his ability to line up all over the field. In 2025, Worthy took 70% of his wide-or-slot snaps outside and 30% inside.
Speaking at last year’s Scouting Combine, Reid was bullish on Worthy’s second season, emphasizing that the Chiefs see the 40-yard dash king as more than a deep threat. Those words played out in his targets, as he saw more than 10 apiece behind the line of scrimmage, short, intermediate and deep.
Free from injury, Worthy should see an uptick in production while giving Reid value as a decoy of sorts. Worthy’s speed and pre-snap motion provide precious eye candy to open space for Rice, Kelce and Walker.
WR Tyreek Hill: Chiefs
While they don’t necessarily need another receiver, the Chiefs could nonetheless add Hill to a receiving corps headlined by Travis Kelce, Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy. Hill, after all, won a Super Bowl in Kansas City and has a rapport with Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy.
The Chargers and Bills also make sense for Hill, who is hoping to revive his career after a serious knee injury sidelined him for most of the 2025 season. Both teams have elite quarterbacks and wide receiver groups that could use a boost.
The Stakes Can’t Get Any Higher for Rashee Rice-Chiefs Pairing in 2026 | Sports Illustrated
Rice’s Strengths and Weaknesses
Back to volume, Rice fills up the stat sheet when it comes to the ball being thrown his way. His 25.4% target share in three-plus games before a season-ending injury in 2024 ranked 19th among wideouts, and his 3.20 yards per route run were second, per SumerSports. In eight games a year ago, his target share spiked to 28.68 (12th overall).
Rice gives Kansas City a floor, as he can be funneled short-area passes and use his acceleration and slippery post-catch chops to pick up extra yards. According to Pro Football Focus, a whopping 75.4% of Rice’s targets last season were either behind the line of scrimmage or within nine yards of it. He netted 7.8 yards after catch per reception for the second straight year (albeit in...
