Chiefs Show Signs Of Improving Their Vertical Passing Game In 2025

Forbes

2 days ago

Xavier Worthy of the Kansas City Chiefs runs the ball during Super Bowl LIX against the Philadelphia ... More Eagles at Caesars Superdome. (Photo by)
Super Bowl LIX was a drubbing. It actually seemed more lopsided than the 40-22 final score indicates.
But if there was a silver lining for the Kansas City Chiefs, it was the play of Xavier Worthy, who had eight catches for 157 and two touchdowns, and the re-emergence of the deep ball.
Yes, Worthy's final touchdown — a 50-yard reception with 1:48 left to play — came against the Philadelphia Eagles' backups, but it showed a glimpse of what the Chiefs want to establish in 2025.
'It kind of just showed,' Worthy said, 'what's here to come in the future.'
Or perhaps it's more accurate to say the Chiefs are trying to recapture the past.
Patrick Mahomes' yards-per-attempt were above 8.0 during four of his first five years as a starting quarterback, but it dropped to 6.8 yards in 2024, and that served as the lowest mark of his career.
'Our job is to test the defenses down the field,' Mahomes said. 'We have to get back to doing that if we want to open other guys underneath.'
During the passing camp Mahomes held in his native state of Texas and during the first week of organized team activities (OTAs), Mahomes said the speed of the Chiefs' receivers is what stood out most.
'We're fast,' he said. 'We've got guys that can roll.'
Mahomes listed his downfield threats at wide receiver, obviously noting Worthy, who ran the fasted NFL Combine time ever, proven commodities like Rashee Rice and Marquise 'Hollywood' Brown and Jalen Royals, a rookie receiver who has drawn rave reviews.
He also mentioned an intriguing name: Tyquan Thornton.
Though he was mostly a bust with the New England Patriots — with just 39 receptions during his first three years in the NFL — he was a second-round pick in 2022.
And the receiver, who the Chiefs signed to their practice squad on Nov. 18, 2024, ran a 4.28 in the 40-yard dash at the 2022 NFL Combine.
He also impressed on Thursday — the final practice day of the first week of OTAs — catching two, quick passes during the 7-on-7 period.
'He's a really good receiver,' Worthy said.
Worthy also impressed during Thursday's practice, hauling in a one-handed catch on a Mahomes pass.
Worthy, who is on a four-year, $13.8 million rookie deal, said last year that he felt like he was being thrown into the fire, but with a year under Worthy's belt, the Chiefs are expecting big things from him.
They are especially encouraged by the way he finished last season.
During the last eight weeks of the 2024 regular season — excluding Week 17 when the Chiefs rested their starters — Worthy had at least four catches every game and surpassed 50 receiving yards four times.
He saved his best for last, serving as a difference maker in the final two playoff games of the year.
Before being the Chiefs' bright spot in Super Bowl LIX, he had six catches for 85 yards and a touchdown against the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship Game.
'The end of last year was kind of a steppingstone for me,' he said.
And Worthy could spearhead the relaunch of the Chiefs' deep passing game, which used to strike fear in opponents during the Legion of Zoom days when Mahomes threw bombs to Tyreek Hill before the speedster's contract demands necessitated a trade to the Miami Dolphins.
'Coach Reid is challenging me this offseason to push the ball down the field, let guys have a chance to make plays,' Mahomes said. 'And then once we get that back to where we want to and our standard that we believe we should have, then we can come back to the underneath stuff.'