It all started when Rashee Rice—the Chiefs’ breakout second‑year receiver—went down with that devastating knee injury in Week 4 of the 2024 season. Suddenly, Xavier Worthy, the rookie speedster, was thrown into the deep end. He didn’t just fill a gap—he exploded into a role that mirrored what Rice did in his own rookie year. In the second half of the season, Worthy became a focal point of the Chiefs’ offense, hauling in big plays and racking up confidence.
Offensive coordinator Matt Nagy captured the shift best: “Confidence and the game is slowing down for him… It reminds me so much of Rashee [Rice] last year.” Fast forward to the doorstep of the 2025 season, when Head Special Teams guru Dave Toub dropped a statement that lit up Arrowhead: “He ended up being the number one [receiver] for us last year, so we couldn’t afford to have him back there. I say he’s the best punt returner nobody knows about right now in the league, and that’s Worthy, so hopefully we get him back there, too.”
Suddenly, Worthy isn’t just the electric deep threat who stepped up for Mahomes—he’s also a weapon in the return game. Ever since, the Chiefs Kingdom is buzzing with just one question: Will we see Worthy returning punts this year? Well, recently, Worthy sat down on Kay Adams’ Up & Adams’ show, where Kay Adams echoed the same question. Worthy’s response?
“Oh man, I don’t know. Stay tuned,” he said. “Stay tuned. I can’t I can’t drop that yet.” His narrative? “I think every time I touch the ball, I’m liable to score, so if I have that chance to be on punt return and change the game for my team, I’m going to do it,” he admitted when asked how dangerous he can be back there.
Will Xavier Worthy be returning punts this year?
He has been watching some Devin Hester tape @heykayadams | @XavierWorthy @D_Hest23 pic.twitter.com/uc5XMUyWOL
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) July 10, 2025
This is a developing story. Stay Tuned!
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