Worthy’s sophomore struggles showed the ineffectiveness of the unit. No KC WR topped the 600-yard mark last season, as the offense struggled to move the pigskin consistently, even before Patrick Mahomes went down with an injury. The collection of Worthy, Hollywood Brown, Rashee Rice, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Tyquan Thornton was finally supposed to provide a diverse skill set that would open up a tough passing game. They didn’t.
“We didn’t do what we needed to do last year,” Worthy said.
The early season shoulder injury continued for the speedster, who never felt 100% — it showed. His route tree never blossomed and sometimes it felt like he was driving the same route on repeat.
Despite last year’s struggles, the Chiefs didn’t make any significant upgrades at the position. Brown and Smith-Schuster are gone, and fifth-round pick Cyrus Allen is the most notable addition. KC is relying heavily on an improved running game with Kenneth Walker III and improvement from Worthy, Rice and Thornton to get the offense on track.
“Obviously I know what kind of player I can be,” Worthy said. “What I can do on the field and what I can bring to the team.”
He knows. Now he has to show.