NEW ORLEANS — The Chiefs leaned on a rookie broad receiver throughout their Tremendous Bowl run a yr in the past.
They’re leaning on one other one this yr.
Xavier Worthy has emerged as a key piece of the Chiefs offense just lately.
He had eight catches for 79 yards on Christmas Day in a win over the Steelers.
Then, within the AFC Championship sport, he had a game-high six catches for a career-high 85 yards.
He additionally made a spotlight catch towards the Payments on a vital third down.
“Xavier has done a great job this year of getting better every week. Whether it’s his route running, whether it’s getting on the same page as Patrick [Mahomes]. He’s worked very hard at that part of his game,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid mentioned. “It’s paid off later in the season here. He’s not a big guy. To be able to persevere through 17 games, plus some playoff games, is a tribute to him and his conditioning.”
Worthy turned heads on the NFL Scouting Mix final yr when he set a brand new report within the 40-yard sprint with a time of 4.21 seconds.
The Chiefs chosen him within the first spherical, giving Mahomes a brand new pace risk.
Worthy obtained off to a little bit of a sluggish begin, however his position elevated after Rashee Rice, final yr’s rookie receiving sensation, went down with a knee harm in the course of the season.
He completed the yr with 59 receptions for 638 yards and 6 receiving touchdowns.
He leads the Chiefs within the postseason with 11 catches on 13 targets.
“I always knew Xavier was gonna be a great football player. Obviously, the talent is there, but the way he works. He gets after it [and] he’s extremely smart. We put a lot on his plate, and he wants more,” Mahomes mentioned. “He wants to continue to be better and be great for the football team.”
Worthy now has an opportunity to cap off his rookie season with a Tremendous Bowl title.
“This is stuff you can’t imagine,” Worthy mentioned. “Getting drafted here was one thing. Coming back-to-back-to-back Super Bowls is another.”
