Arrowhead Pride
The rookie says he still isn’t satisfied heading into Super Bowl LIX.
From the moment Xavier Worthy entered the league as the Kansas City Chiefs’ first-round pick in last April’s draft, he’s carried a chip on his shoulder. Despite breaking the record for the 40-yard dash — running a blazing 4.21 — the questions have existed from the start.
Was he too small? Could he stay healthy? Could he be a reliable target for Patrick Mahomes in the biggest moments?
Now, heading into the Super Bowl as a key contributor for the AFC champions, Worthy is making it clear: he’s not just here to participate; he’s here to prove everyone wrong.
“Just my mentality,” Worthy said when asked about his ability to stay composed in big moments. “I go out there just trying to prove everybody wrong. I was coming into the season doubted. Everybody said he’s not fit to be a big-time receiver, he’s too small, he’s injury prone. I feel like I proved everybody wrong,g and I’m going to continue to prove everybody wrong.”
This isn’t new for Worthy. From his youth football days to his college career, he’s had to fight for recognition. That motivation carried him through his rookie season, where he stepped up in crucial moments — none bigger than his performance in the AFC Championship game.
The defining moment of his young career so far? A contested catch late in the game that helped push Kansas City past the Buffalo Bills. It was a play that embodied everything scouts questioned about him — physicality, toughness, and reliability.
*“*The crazy part is I just felt my hand hit the ball, and I tried to tuck as fast as possible,” Worthy recalled, illustrating the instinct and quick reaction that made the play happen.
It’s that kind of resilience that has made him one of Mahomes’ most trusted targets, especially in a year when the Chiefs’ receiving corps faced injuries and inconsistency. When asked how he handled the challenge of stepping up for a depleted receiver group, Worthy didn’t hesitate.
“This is my first team where I had a lot of guys go down, and I wasn’t really one of the key guys to step up,” he said. “So this is my first time stepping up and just being a guy that Pat [Patrick Mahomes] could rely on. Just having that, and having the leadership of the guys that actually went down, they’ve been helping me, leading me throughout the way, so it’s amazing just to have them on the journey.”
That leadership, particularly from Mahomes and Travis Kelce, has been instrumental in Worthy’s development. He has absorbed knowledge from some of the game’s best, using their guidance to refine his game.
*“*Just the growth and the knowledge I got from the guys,” he said. “I learned from every mistake I had. All the guys were helping me with just even like the little things I could have gotten. Even the stuff I did good, and I...
