Travis Kelce, the Kansas City Chiefs’ veteran tight end, is completely responsible for his former University of Texas teammate Xavier Worthy getting hurt. That was the case on this play in their season opener against the Los Angeles Chargers. Kelce ran into Worthy as he crossed the route. This collision led to him suffering a right shoulder injury and raised concerns from friends, fans and players alike.
Worthy, who is in his second year with the Chiefs, provides the fastest receiving option on the team. He had a touchdown on the most important play of the game, gaining separation against man-to-man coverage. Then, out of nowhere, an ill-timed collision with Kelce sent him to the locker room. Thankfully, early updates indicate that Worthy will not require surgery. On top of it all, the team is hoping to avoid placing him on injured reserve. There remains hope around his return in the next fortnight. He could be out for the landmark Christmas Eve clash with the Philadelphia Eagles.
In an Instagram post reflecting on the incident, Kelce said he was still upset that he played a part in Worthy’s injury. He said, “I’m technically supposed to be running my route at depth for Worthy, so that’s frustrating on my end. The 13-year veteran was quick to note there is “no excuse” for the mistake, owning up to his status as the leader of the offensive line.
Especially since I ran into one of my guys out there and took him out of the game, as the news circuit put it, Kelce bemoaned. I quite literally booted one of my players. He understood that what he couldn’t do to Worthy, he could do to the game on a whole, playing to change the game. Now Worthy has his dude beat and we’re out the gate, and that game goes so differently,” he said.
The Chiefs had a tough time generating offense in the first half without their deep threat. Down by ten points midway through the second quarter, they sold out and put the game on the shoulders of their star quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes ended the game with 39 passing attempts but had to deal with more pressure due to Worthy’s absence from the game.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid talked about the success that receivers JuJu Smith-Schuster and Tyquan Thornton had against that coverage. They really impressed in Worthy’s absence. Reid explained, “They did not let them get away,” giving credit to the defensive stand that still shows the fight in the team even after the mistake.
On Worthy’s recovery, Reid had some good news—his son is “doing better and making progress.” For now the Chiefs are optimistic that he will be returning to the field before long. A source has informed ESPN that there is a possibility for Worthy to be in uniform by Week 4, specifically for their matchup against the Baltimore Ravens on September 28.
Kelce’s honest take on the topic, as heard on his “New Heights” podcast with older brother Jason Kelce, reflected his desire to be Colton. I have to do better,” he admitted. It’s after 13 years in professional football that he’s most keyed in on how to walk the walk.
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