Chiefs’ Xavier Worthy ruled out after injuring shoulder on first drive vs. Chargers

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy exited Friday’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers early in the first quarter with a shoulder injury. After initially being ruled questionable, the Chiefs later downgraded him to out for the rest of the game.

Worthy collided with tight end Travis Kelce while trying to get open on the Chiefs’ first drive. He was helped off the field by Kansas City staff before walking to the locker room with a towel over his head. Sideline reporter Stacey Dales said on the YouTube broadcast that Worthy was wincing in pain and went to the X-ray room.

Worthy was the Chiefs’ leading wide receiver last year as a rookie. He entered 2025 as the Chiefs’ top option, especially with Rashee Rice serving a six-game suspension for his role in a March 2024 high-speed crash.

How will Worthy’s absence impact the Chiefs?

It’s difficult to overstate what a blow it would be for the Chiefs if they lost Worthy for an extended period of time. Worthy was going to be the team’s unquestioned top option with Rice suspended. Now, quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ top receiving threat is … a 35-year-old Travis Kelce again? Hollywood Brown? Kansas City loved its receiving room coming into the season, but the team being without its top two options obviously is not ideal.

Worthy played all 17 games as a rookie for the Chiefs last season despite his slight build (5-foot-11, 165 pounds). He was the reliable one while Rice, Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster all spent time injured. — Jesse Newell, Chiefs beat writer

(Photo: Kevin Sabitus / Getty Images)