Chiefs WR Xavier Worthy Will Not Be Charged In Domestic Violence Case

6:16pm: Worthy will not be charged in this case, Williamson County District Attorney Shawn Dick said (via Tyler Davis and Claire Osborn of the Austin American-Statesman). This case has been declined after discussions with multiple witness along with Worthy and his attorneys. Barring the arrival of new information which could lead to prosecution being sought, the matter will be therefore be closed.

9:01am: Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy was arrested Friday night in Texas on a charge of assault against a family or household member by impeding their breathing or circulation, Fox26’s Will Kunkel reports. Worthy, 21, is currently in the Williamson County Jail, according to the Houston Chronicle’s Kirk Bohls. This is a felony domestic violence charge, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets.

Chosen in last year’s first round, Worthy impressed and played a central role in the Chiefs’ third straight Super Bowl appearance. However, he has run into what could be significant off-field trouble. This arrest comes less than a year after 2023 Chiefs second-round pick Rashee Rice‘s involvement in a street-racing incident, which brought eight felony charges. The Chiefs are gathering information on Worthy’s arrest, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones adds.

Worthy’s attorneys released a statement indicating (via the Austin American-Statesman’s Cedric Golden) indicated the victim was a woman who “was recently asked to leave Mr. Worthy’s residence upon discovery of her infidelity. She had made a number of extortive efforts prior to this baseless allegation.” The third-degree felony charge carries a penalty of between two and 10 years in prison, ESPN.com’s Adam Teicher notes. Even if the charge could be reduced to a misdemeanor, Worthy will be facing a potential NFL suspension.

Rice remains expected to face a suspension. The Chiefs have shown a tremendous tolerance for off-field problems; they have continually seen key players run into trouble. Wide receiver has been the most common roster spot to cause such problems for the Chiefs, dating back to Tyreek Hill‘s issues and involving Justyn Ross‘ placement on the commissioner’s exempt list after a 2023 arrest.

The ex-Texas Longhorn joined the Chiefs as last year’s No. 28 overall pick. The team traded up (via the Bills) to land the player who set the Combine 40-yard dash record. Worthy started slowly but became a more consistent piece of Kansas City’s offense down the stretch, totaling at least 40 receiving yards in each game he played from Week 11 on. Worthy finished his rookie season with 638 receiving yards and 104 more on the ground, producing nine touchdowns.

Worthy also scored two TDs in Super Bowl LIX. Aided by garbage time in the Chiefs’ blowout loss, Worthy set a rookie Super Bowl record with 157 receiving yards (on eight catches). He will be expected to team with Rice to give the Chiefs a better receiving corps than they trotted out in 2024, but Worthy’s charge provides a significant early-career impediment.

This familiar territory for the Chiefs comes days before free agency. As the three-time reigning AFC champions will need to consider veteran options as potential Rice stopgaps, as the SMU alum is rehabbing a season-ending knee injury. Worthy’s status may now factor into Kansas City’s plans.

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