Though the 5-foot-11, 165-pound wideout typically conducts interviews with long sleeves on, he strode to the front of the interview room Thursday in a red cutoff shirt. That allowed TV cameras to pick up some additional muscle in his arms that wasn’t present in previous years.
Worthy said his focus on strength training was part of the process of rehabbing from January’s surgery to repair his labrum.
“So (it) really was just building on getting stronger,” Worthy said, “getting that back in the flow.”
Worthy certainly had an impressive string of practices the last few weeks, with the no-contact jersey serving as a precautionary measure suggested by his doctor.
One practice, Worthy sprinted deep to haul in a pair of deep throws beyond the team’s final defender. On another day, he stopped and pivoted during a red-zone drill in 7-on-7s, squaring up to secure a back-shoulder throw from quarterback Patrick Mahomes around tight coverage from rookie cornerback Mansoor Delane.
“Jump-ball receiver, man,” Worthy said with a laugh when asked about that particular play. “Let’s do it.”
There seem to be plenty of reasons for optimism for Worthy, even after a down statistical year.