Chiefs rookie Xavier Worthy growing into WR1 for Mahomes - ESPN

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Rookie Xavier Worthy's growth as a wide receiver for the Kansas City Chiefs can be measured by his stat line, which — except for a two-game dip in the middle of the season — has gone consistently up.

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes measures it in a different way. He looks at how Worthy is running his routes and setting up defenders. He looks at how Worthy is getting open at all three levels. And how Mahomes is now comfortable throwing to Worthy instead of just deep down the field.

Mahomes sees a more mature receiver than the Chiefs had early in the season, and to him, it's no matter that the stats agree.

«It's more than just… how fast he is,'' Mahomes said. „It's just the confidence that you can feel in the route. As a quarterback you can feel how he's running a route, how he's setting it up and getting himself open and stuff like that, and that gives you confidence to make the throws.

“He's getting really, really good at it and we'll continue to work at it. He's still a young kid and his talent is through the roof and he has the chance to be a really special football player.»

Worthy had his highest catch total of the season in the win over the Houston Texans on Saturday, when he caught seven passes for 61 yards and a touchdown. That continued a season-long pattern for Worthy, who had two catches in each of the season's first three games, then three catches in each of the next three.

With the exception of a couple games, Worthy's reception totals have risen incrementally since, with four catches each in Weeks 11 and 12, five in Weeks 13 and 14 and six in Week 15.

«There were even a couple more where I maybe got flushed where he was winning down field,'' Mahomes said after the Houston game. „Hopefully, I