Xavier Worthy caught 8-of-8 targets for 157 yards and two touchdowns in the Chiefs’ Super Bowl LIX loss to the Eagles.
By far the best game of Worthy’s uneven rookie season was too little, too late for a Chiefs team that fell behind 34-0, but does provide hope heading into next season his late-season hot streak was not a mirage. Worthy notched scores of 24 and 50 yards in the second half, with the 50-yarder coming against tight end zone coverage. The No. 28 overall pick of the draft, Worthy entered the league as an undersized (165 pounds) “role ‘tweener” who couldn’t decide if he was best deployed deep or in the short area. As was the case at Texas, the Chiefs split the difference, giving Worthy a middle of the pack “average targeted air yards” of 9.0. Worthy was also the recipient of frequent deep shots but struggled mightily down the field, catching just 4-of-18 targets 20-plus yards beyond the line of scrimmage. Lagging badly in nearly every efficiency metric, Worthy finally took off in a post-Thanksgiving Rashee Rice-type role, vacuuming up at least five receptions in each of his final seven appearances, including the playoffs. Still young (22 in April), Worthy now has invaluable experience and has demonstrated the ability to get better at the NFL level. His perch as one of Patrick Mahomes’ top-two pass catchers makes him an extremely valuable Dynasty league asset even if you’re not a big believer in his ultimate career ceiling.