Chiefs’ Xavier Worthy Ruled Out for Super Bowl “Revenge” Game vs. Eagles

Kansas City, MO — The Kansas City Chiefs have confirmed that Xavier Worthy will not play in the Super Bowl “revenge” matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles, after the shoulder injury he suffered in the opener against the Los Angeles Chargers in São Paulo. The decision comes despite a few limited practice sessions during the week; the staff deemed the early-season risk too high.

Worthy logged only three snaps before colliding with Travis Kelce on an underneath route. The hit sent the rookie burner to the turf; he exited with a towel over his head and was later ruled out for Week 2. Compounding matters, Rashee Rice is serving a six-game suspension under the personal-conduct policy and Jalen Royals remains out with knee tendinitis (which also kept him sidelined in Week 1). Suddenly, the Chiefs’ receiver room is thin just as they face an Eagles front that thrives on pressure.

As a 2024 rookie, Worthy finished second on the team in receiving yards behind Kelce — effectively the WR1 by production: 59 receptions on 98 targets, 638 yards, and 6 touchdowns (most among Chiefs wideouts). His field-stretching speed forces defenses to respect vertical space and opens the middle for Kelce and the quick game. Without him, Philadelphia can compress the field, squeeze hook/curl windows, and devote more resources to Kelce and the run game.

Minus their primary vertical threat, expect Kansas City to lean into designed rhythm over ad-lib explosives:

• Quick game/RPO/screens to stay on schedule,

In the red zone, they can recreate “speed threats” with high-tempo motion and switch releases that force the secondary to turn and chase, opening seams and crossers.

After the 27–21 loss to the Chargers, Travis Kelce publicly accepted blame on the New Heights podcast, admitting he “wasn’t ready on the opening drive” and “ran into” his teammate, which scrambled the plan from the start. His direct message to Worthy:

“That’s on me — on the opening drive I wasn’t ready, I ran into Xavier and unintentionally knocked him out of the game; I take full responsibility and owe him a big apology.”

Kelce also acknowledged he doesn’t know Worthy’s exact return timeline; Andy Reid has described the rookie as “day to day.” Even so, Kelce believes that once healthy, Worthy will “take the league by storm.”

The Chiefs enter Week 2 eager to avenge last season’s championship defeat, but losing Worthy likely lowers the short-term ceiling on explosive plays. The task for Kansas City is to manufacture explosives by design (motions, stacks, RPOs, short play-action) and maintain procedural discipline (avoid false starts/holdings) to keep drives alive. Execute that plan, and Arrowhead’s offense can still control tempo; fail to do so, and Philadelphia will more easily read the rhythm and compress space.

The blueprint remains clear: protect the ball, win early downs, and maximize Kelce with structures that free him from brackets. When Worthy returns, the Chiefs can slot that vertical speed back in just as the playoff race heats up; for now, they must prove they can shape the game without their fastest weapon.