When Xavier Worthy ran a 4.21 40 in the NFL combine, we just knew he was going to be great. And when the Kansas City Chiefs drafted him, the idea of him catching darts from Patrick Mahomes reinforced that narrative. After a solid first season, expectations were high this year, but injuries slowed him down. However, the latest update suggests he is close to returning.

Reports indicate the Chiefs’ wideout has successfully undergone surgery to repair the fully torn labrum he suffered in Week 1. By all accounts, the procedure went well, and he’s officially on the long road back to full strength.

The injury occurred early in the season opener against the Chargers. Worthy collided with tight end Travis Kelce in the first half and dislocated his right shoulder. It was one of those early blows that set the tone for a rather difficult year in Kansas City.

Worthy missed Weeks 2 and 3, then returned in Week 4 against the Ravens. He also sat out the finale in Week 18 against the Las Vegas Raiders, officially due to illness, though it was obvious all season that his shoulder wasn’t right. Even so, he gutted it out and appeared in 14 games this year.

When Worthy first got injured, he chose to delay surgery so he could get back on the field as quickly as possible. In hindsight, that decision may have cost him. He never really looked like himself, and the production reflected it. This season moved at a much slower pace than his rookie year.

Worthy finished with 42 catches for 532 yards and one touchdown across those 14 appearances, running 424 routes and recording two drops. Pro Football Focus graded him at 66 overall, placing him 53rd among 81 qualifying receivers. A year earlier, he posted 59 catches for 638 yards and six touchdowns over 17 games.

Next season should be different. The surgery is finally behind him, and Worthy made sure people knew it.

“Successful surgery 🙏🏽”  He noted. “Coming for it all next year; let’s work on the road to recovery ⛓️,”

And that’s not all that he said.

Xavier Worthy makes an ambitious statement

Worthy knows what he is capable of. He also knows that the dip in his production this season was not a representation of his ability but the injuries that held him back. Now that he’s undergone surgery, he is sure that he will come back stronger than ever next year. And he made that clear with a bold statement.

“Keep doubting me; y’all are making a monster!” he wrote on X.

The criticism was there. From around the league, from fans, and even from some within the Kansas City Chiefs fan base. But if we’re being honest, almost everyone in that locker room heard it this year. The receivers, especially. For the third straight season, Kansas City finished without a 1,000-yard wideout, something that’s become a concerning talking point.

There’s a strong case that Rashee Rice would’ve cleared that bar if the season had unfolded differently. He missed the first six games because of suspension and the final three with a concussion. In the eight games he did play, he caught 53 passes for 571 yards and five touchdowns. Stretch that out over a full season, and the conversation probably changes.

Now the Chiefs head into the offseason in a tight spot financially, sitting roughly $58 million over the cap. That really limits how aggressive they can be in adding a high-end receiver from the outside. Which is why Worthy getting back to full health matters so much. If he’s truly 100 percent, he has the speed and skill set to help end that three-year drought himself.

Judging by his message, he believes it. Kansas City also made a change on the coaching side, moving on from wide receivers coach Connor Embree after seven seasons with the organization, the last three leading the position group. So expect a new look in the receiving corps next season and a different level from Xavier Worthy.