Just six days after injuring his right shoulder in the Chiefs’ season opener against the Los Angeles Chargers in Brazil, wide receiver Xavier Worthy has returned to practice.
Worthy missed Wednesday’s workout, but on Thursday he appeared on the field during the brief period of the team’s workout that was open to media.
After light stretching near quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce, Worthy joined his fellow wide receivers for individual drills.
Worthy sported a compression sleeve that ran from his right wrist to his shoulder area; he used his left arm to throw the ball back to an assistant coach. An official practice designation will be assigned to Worthy in the team’s official injury report, usually released around 3 p.m. Central Time.
This is quite the speedy return to practice for Worthy, who collided with Kelce on a crossing route only three plays into the team’s Week 1 loss to the Chargers.
Speaking on this week’s episode of his New Heights podcast, Kelce took the blame for injuring Worthy.
“I know it’s kind of sounding like a broken record from last year’s Super Bowl, but that’s on us as leaders, and I’ll take the most accountability myself,” Kelce said of the incident. “I wasn’t ready that first drive — I ran into one of my guys and offed him out of the game.
“I literally took one of my players out. That’s one of the most frustrating parts, and it’s hard to get your juices back going knowing you just hurt a guy.”
On Wednesday, Chiefs coach Andy Reid confirmed that Worthy would not undergo surgery, thereby avoiding a stint on the NFL’s Reserve/Injured list. Since a stay on the injured list would mean Worthy miss a minimum of four games, Reid’s statements indicated optimism he would at least be able to return at some point in the next month.
It could still very well be a long shot, but an appearance in Sunday’s Super Bowl LIX rematch against the Philadelphia Eagles suddenly seems like a possibility.
This story was originally published September 11, 2025 at 1:58 PM.