On Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs’ entire squad had their first practice in St. Joseph. The usual suspects were in hand, including Travis Kelce, sporting an old look, Chris Jones, and the return of the downfield aerial assault.
Head Coach Andy Reid and Quarterback Patrick Mahomes told the media they wanted to return to a downfield passing attack after last season’s failure. That included Mahomes stating outside of the Super Bowl chase in January that he didn’t have as much fun balling as he has in years past.
In the off-season, General Manager, BRett Veach signed speed merchant Hollywood Brown and drafted Xavier Worthy with their first round pick, they received from the Buffalo Bills. If the first day of training camp indicates what might lay ahead for this offense, the big plays might return to this offense.
For those who have seen Patrick Mahomes play the last six years, he’s adapted to the roster his Head Coach and General Manager put together for him. After the receivers’ dismal performance in 2023, I’m sure he put together a bucket list for them to get him better top-flight personnel.
We know what this team has in Hollywood Brown, but with Worthy’s hamstring injury, not many felt that he’d be ready to start the camp. Some believe he’s injury-prone and won’t be a good asset for Mahomes and Reid.
Well, I’m here to tell you that’s NOT the case. Mahomes and Worthy made some big plays at camp, but none bigger than the bomb Mahomes passed to Worthy, rolling to his LEFT and slinging it to the waiting arms of Worthy, who easily beat his defender.
In these videos, you see both angles, and the excitement from the crowd was one thing, but Worthy’s teammates were equally excited.
Worthy enters his freshman season in the NFL after a stellar career at the University of Texas. He stood out for three seasons, yet some doubted his size and toughness. The best way I can compare his game to former Chiefs Wide Receiver Tyreek Hill is that Worthy is a far more accomplished route runner and receiver.
Remember, the Chiefs drafted Hill in the sixth round as a kick returner and gadget running back. Though he had a great rookie career in Kansas City, to match the current skills of Worthy as a receiver took him a year or two,
During their time together, Mahomes has been preaching to Worthy to keep running. In college, he was a precise route runner who understood how to find open space. What he has to learn in the NFL with Mahomes under center is that you have to do ten times more on every route you run.
Further, if he is going to have an impact this season, he has to gain the trust of his quarterback. On Tuesday, when Mahomes reported to camp, he was asked about Worthy, and he stated it was ‘Go Time’, meaning he expected big things from the fastest receiver in the NFL.
Again, if Sunday was any indication, the Chiefs offense will be fun to watch.
Chiefs Camp Notes:
Safety Just Reid is dealing with an injury, and he’s being described as day-to-day. Let’s hope it’s not the same day-to-day as former Safety Eric Berry.
After attending two of three shows in Germany to watch his girlfriend, Taylor Swift,Ā Travis KelceĀ was back at camp sporting a shaven face and a new mustache. For the record, he made some terrific plays on Sunday.
One wide receiver who continues to elevate his game is Justyn Ross. Since arriving in camp, he’s shown the flashes that made him a top-shelf receiver at Clemson. Still, he’ll be hard-pressed to make this roster if Kansas City keeps just six wide receivers.
