Xavier Worthy says another team hung up on him on draft night before landing with Chiefs

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Kansas City Chiefs rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy gave an inside look at the draft process that led to his selection in the first round of April’s draft.

In an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, Worthy said Kansas City quietly pursued him, keeping little contact with him throughout the draft process.

“That was probably the team I heard less from -- I heard more from other teams,” Worthy said of his pre-draft connection to Kansas City. “I never really heard from the Chiefs like that.”

Now, seven games into his rookie season, the former Texas star has 235 yards receiving and five total touchdowns. But on draft night, Worthy initially thought he was heading elsewhere.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy (1) scores past Baltimore Ravens linebacker... — Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy (1) scores past Baltimore Ravens linebacker Malik Harrison (40) during the first half of an NFL football game Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)(Charlie Riedel | AP)

“Draft day was crazy,” Worthy told Eisen in an appearance Thursday. “I had a call at like 15 or 16 (overall) and I think it was the Colts. (They) hung up the phone in my face. It was a little crazy.

“They said, ‘Hello, this is so-and-so with the Colts,’ and then they stopped talking and the call hung up.”

Following a run of 14 consecutive offensive players being selected to start the 2024 NFL Draft, Indianapolis general manager Chris Ballard decided to pick UCLA defensive end Laiatu Latu. Twelve picks later, Kansas City traded up with the Buffalo Bills to pick No. 28 and selected Worthy.

“I really originally didn’t know they traded with Buffalo, so when it was on the clock and I saw the call I was thinking it’s Buffalo,” said Worthy, who was the fifth of seven first-round wide receivers selected in the 2024 NFL Draft. “Then I look at the thing and it said KC and I knew it was the Chiefs. Exactly where I want to be.”

Now, in Kansas City, Worthy’s role has expanded due to injuries to Hollywood Brown and Rashee Rice. Without Brown and Rice in the lineup, Worthy said he’s relying upon veteran wideouts DeAndre Hopkins and Juju Smith-Schuster for knowledge.

“I feel like all our goals here is to make it back to where we want to be at the end of the day,” Worthy said. “The individual success will come with the team success, so as long as the team does good we’re all going to do good.”