Kansas City Chiefs rookie Xavier Worthy made an immediate impact for his team in Week 1, but one upcoming opponent does not seem at all concerned about the wide receiver’s playmaking ability.
The Chiefs will host the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. On Wednesday, Bengals cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt was asked what Worthy brings to the Chiefs’ offense that Cincinnati will have to prepare for. Taylor-Britt said Worthy has “speed” and not much else.
“Speed, that’s about it. He can run straight, run jet sweeps and just run straight. He can’t do too much else, so that’s about it,” Taylor-Britt said. “I feel like if you put your hands on him, he’s only 100-something pounds. If you put hands on him you’ll stop the speed, so basically get hands on him.”
“Speed … He can run straight.”
— Bengals CB Cam Taylor-Britt, on what Xavier Worthy adds to the KC Chiefs offense#Bengals #Chiefs@WCPO pic.twitter.com/E6BDEE7ZZj
— Caleb Noe (@CalebNoeTV) September 11, 2024
There is no debating that speed is Worthy’s greatest asset. The former Texas star, whom the Chiefs drafted with the 28th overall pick, ran the fastest 40-yard dash in NFL Combine history earlier this year. Taylor-Britt is right that being physical and disrupting timing is the best way to contain a player with blazing speed, but that is easier said than done.
Worthy scored from 21 yards out on a reverse in Kansas City’s 27-20 win over the Baltimore Ravens last week. He looked like he was shot out of a cannon on the play:
XAVIER WORTHY HAS ARRIVED.
📺: #Kickoff2024 on NBC/Peacock
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/0612BrVxlJ— NFL (@NFL) September 6, 2024
Worthy also caught a 35-yard touchdown, proving that he can beat defenses in multiple ways.
Andy Reid is a master when it comes to getting the ball in the hands of his playmakers with free releases off the line of scrimmage and other unique play designs. That is why the sky is the limit for Worthy in the Chiefs’ offense, even if Taylor-Britt thinks the speedster is one-dimensional.
