ST. JOSEPH, Missouri — First-round wide receiver Xavier Worthy didn’t make it through two offseason practices before a tweaked hamstring curtailed his acclimation into the Chiefs offense but he’s now cleared for liftoff as Kansas City’s rookies reported for camp Tuesday, according to head coach Andy Reid.
“We’ll ease him in,” Reid said. “We’re not going to just give him every rep. The lines are kind of short here.”
The Chiefs kick off the 2024 training camp Wednesday with a three-day minicamp designed for first-year players, quarterbacks and players returning from injury. Only five wide receivers are eligible to attend the minicamp, so opportunities are plentiful for newcomers such as Worthy.
While Reid may manage Worthy’s workload, quarterback Patrick Mahomes has no plans to go easy on his new target.
“There’s no easing,” Mahomes said. “He’s going to have to be ready to go.”
Mahomes even referenced last year’s rookie minicamp when rookie receiver Rashee Rice vomited on the field on his first day of practice. That’s not the goal but it’s a promise from Mahomes that he’s setting expectations high and won’t take things easy on the rookie.
“Xavier, he got a lot of mental work in this these last few weeks that he had during OTAs and minicamp, but it’s time to go now,” Mahomes said. “And I mean, you all saw with Rashee last year, and some of the throwing up days he had. We’re going to push you to the limit and prepare yourself to be ready to go for the season. And that’s not just him. That’s everybody and everybody has that have that mentality when they come into camp.”
The rookie minicamp is both an orientation and refresher for the rookie class. It’s an opportunity to acclimate themselves to the practice facilities and accomodations on the campus of Missouri Western State University but it’s also a preview of things to come when the veterans arrive this weekend.
“I think it’s great for all these guys just to get in and become familiar,” Reid said. “Go through it one more time before the veterans getting in and everything’s going 100 miles an hour, so it’s slowed down. They’ll get the same install, the first three installs for when the vets get in.”
That’s critical for Worthy, Reid said, who can apply what he learned while on the sidelines during offseason workouts.
“It’s I think it’s a real positive for everybody and especially Xavier, who didn’t have the opportunity to be out on the field,” Reid said. “Just going through those routes and doing what he needs to do there will also be positive.”
