Chemistry lesson: Worthy, Mahomes wow with TD

Last updated: 2024/07/21 at 11:50 PM

BigP Published July 21, 2024

Adam Teicher, ESPN Staff WriterJul 21, 2024, 03:00 PM ET
Close
- Covered Chiefs for 20 seasons for Kansas City Star
- Joined ESPN in 2013

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — The connection between Patrick Mahomes and Xavier Worthy established itself in the first full-squad practice at Kansas City Chiefs training camp.

Mahomes completed a deep post pattern to Worthy for a touchdown during the team’s first 11-on-11 drill. The play sparked hope among the Chiefs that it’s the first of many similar connections.

“He’s adjusting well,” wide receiver Mecole Hardman said of Worthy, the Chiefs’ 2024 first-round draft pick. “He comes with that speed, so I’m pretty sure we’re going to have him on a lot of things going deep. So, I think now just get the chemistry with him and Pat going and hopefully we can translate it on to the season.”

Worthy sat out most of offseason practice because of a sore hamstring, so he and Mahomes are, in a sense, just getting acquainted. Mahomes was eager for Worthy to return to practice for the start of camp, saying last week that the Chiefs wouldn’t be easing him back into the lineup but rather had big immediate expectations for him.

Mahomes then threw many of his passes to Worthy in a recent minicamp for quarterbacks and rookies.

“He’s been working hard,” coach Andy Reid said of Worthy. “Looks like his hamstring feels better. We’ve just got to keep him going here and keep learning. We’re just one [practice] into it and they’ve got 12 of them, so he’s got a lot more information coming at him and formations and shifts and motions and all that stuff. But he did a nice job today.”

Worthy ran a 4.21 in the 40-yard dash at the scouting combine, the fastest time ever recorded at the event. The Chiefs also signed another fast wide receiver in veteran Marquise Brown.

“It’s a lot of speed,” Hardman said. “I think maybe we’ve got a good group of guys, [and] they bring another dynamic to the offense, and then obviously you’ve got Rashee [Rice]. That’s a bulldog, like a horse that can do all the dirty work, get the underneath routes, a lot of [run-after-catch] yards with him. Then I come in through little gadget stuff here and there and explosives, too.

“We all feed off each other. We’ve got a great room; everybody knows what’s going on. They know their roles. I think now training camp is going to really establish everybody’s roles.”