Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy was arrested Friday night in Texas on a charge of assault against a family or household member by impeding their breathing or circulation, Fox26’s Will Kunkel reports. Worthy, 21, is currently in the Williamson County Jail, according to the Houston Chronicle’s Kirk Bohls.
Chosen in last year’s first round, Worthy impressed and played a central role in the Chiefs’ third straight Super Bowl appearance. However, he has run into what could be significant off-field trouble. This arrest comes less than a year after 2023 Chiefs second-round pick **Rashee Rice**‘s involvement in a street-racing incident, which brought eight felony charges. The Chiefs are gathering information on Worthy’s arrest, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones adds.
Rice remains expected to face a suspension. Worthy joins the two-year veteran as a player who now could be in line for a ban, though the criminal matter obviously takes precedence here. That said, the Chiefs have shown a tremendous tolerance for off-field problems; they have continually seen key players run into trouble. Wide receiver has been the most common roster spot to cause such problems for the Chiefs, dating back to **Tyreek Hill**‘s issues and involving **Justyn Ross**‘ placement on the commissioner’s exempt list after a 2023 arrest.
More details will likely emerge from Worthy’s arrest. The ex-Texas Longhorn joined the Chiefs as last year’s No. 28 overall pick. The team traded up (via the Bills) to land the player who set the Combine 40-yard dash record. Worthy started slowly but became a more consistent piece of Kansas City’s offense down the stretch, totaling at least 40 receiving yards in each game he played from Week 11 on. Worthy finished his rookie season with 638 receiving yards and 104 more on the ground, producing nine touchdowns.
Worthy also scored two TDs in Super Bowl LIX. Aided by garbage time in the Chiefs’ blowout loss, Worthy set a rookie Super Bowl record with 157 receiving yards (on eight catches). He will be expected to team with Rice to give the Chiefs a better receiving corps than they trotted out in 2024, but Worthy’s charge provides a significant early-career impediment.
This familiar territory for the Chiefs comes days before free agency. As the three-time reigning AFC champions will need to consider veteran options as potential Rice stopgaps, as the SMU alum is rehabbing a season-ending knee injury. Worthy’s status may now factor into Kansas City’s plans.