Bengals Defender Dismisses Xavier Worthy Ahead Of Matchup With Chiefs

The rivalry between the Chiefs and Bengals will reignite this weekend as the two teams prepare for the sixth time in three years. As the two teams prepare, Bengals defenders seem to be directing their taunts toward rookie Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy.

Worthy, the speed pass catcher out of Texas, broke the record in the 40-yard dash at this year’s NFL Combine, competing the drill in 4.21 seconds. He was selected with the 29th overall pick by the Chiefs, who have always looked to pair speedy receivers with quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

In his debut last weekend, Worthy seemed to live up to the hype, blazing down the sidelines for a 35-yard touchdown against broken coverage and rushing for another 21-yard score. When Bengals defenders were asked what he brings to the Chiefs offense, however, trash-talking cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt was dismissive.

“Speed, that’s about it,” Taylor-Britt told reporters. “He can run straight — run jet sweeps and just run straight. He can’t do too much else, so that’s about it.”

It’s true that Worthy isn’t necessarily known as an efficient route runner, but to put down any player after a two-touchdown debut is a dangerous game for a defensive player. Between Rashee Rice, Isiah Pacheco, Travis Kelce and the return of Hollywood Brown, the Chiefs enjoy an abundance of weapons around Mahomes. Worthy’s presence as a deep threat might be one-dimensional, but it’s doubtful that the Ravens would dismiss him if the two teams played again.

While the Chiefs are coming off a nice win in an AFC Championship game rematch from last year, the Bengals need to recover quickly after a humiliating loss to the New England Patriots. Joe Burrow and company were completely ineffectual in their season opener, suffering several costly fumbles that cost them dearly in a 16-10 defeat.

Burrow has consistently proven equal to Mahomes in head-to-head matchups throughout his career, but after a poor 2023 season in which he struggled with injuries, it is unclear if he is prepared to take on the reigning Super Bowl Champions this time around. At every level, the team needs to prove that it can still contend in the AFC, which could make Week 2 a highly valuable acid test.