Chiefs coordinator has WR Xavier Worthy eager to model his game after a Hall of Famer

Kansas City Chiefs rookie WR Xavier Worthy got his first taste of NFL action in Week 1 of the 2024 NFL preseason against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The rookie played just five snaps on offense on Saturday, and he wasn't targeted during the game. He revealed that he was the No. 1 read on the first snap of the game, but the Jaguars rolled their coverage to Cover 1 from a Cover 2 man look, which forced Patrick Mahomes to go elsewhere with the ball.

Even with his first target still to come, Worthy seemed most excited about what his future holds on special teams. He was listed as the top punt returner on the team's initial depth chart last week. Dave Toub has been eyeing Worthy for the position ever since he was drafted.

"I’ve got like 19 guys out there, but in reality, there’s probably five (or) six guys that could do it," Toub said in July. "You know, (Xavier) Worthy - no question."

Worthy didn't get a chance to get a punt return on Saturday because he was pulled from the game just two series into it.

"Oh, man, I wanted one so bad the other day," Worthy said. "Man, they kind of just took me off, shut me down for the day. But yeah, I'm ready to get my first punt return going. I wanted one of those punt returns, for sure, definitely. When they took us off the field, I was like, 'Dang, I can't get a punt return?' But I understand."

He'll likely get his opportunity soon enough.

Toub has been working closely with the eager rookie, who says he's trying to learn everything he can about what made a Hall of Famer and former pupil of Toub's a great return specialist.

"I'm definitely going to be back there, returning," Worthy said. "They have us watching a lot of — we watched a lot of like Devin Hester. He just entered the Hall of Fame. So, you know, coach, coached him (with the Chicago Bears). So, it was amazing just to be able to have the coach that coached him and understand the tools it takes to be great back there."

There are a lot of ways to contribute to an NFL team's success. While fans are eager to see Worthy out there catching deep passes from Patrick Mahomes, the rookie also knows he can change the game and make a difference as a punt returner on special teams. Knowing what Toub accomplished in coaching Hester seems to give him plenty of confidence in his own ability to go out there and be special in a phase of the game that's often overlooked.

Related: Preseason standout aims to make the Chiefs’ 53-man roster by being 'Swiss Army Knife'