The Kansas City Chiefs’ 20-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks exposed familiar problems with their passing game, and Shannon Sharpe believes Xavier Worthy is part of the problem.

With Rashee Rice sidelined by injury, Worthy had an opportunity to step up as Patrick Mahomes’ primary wide receiver. Instead, he managed just 11 receiving yards as Seattle handed Kansas City its first loss of the season.

Shannon Sharpe Questions Xavier Worthy’s Route-Running Technique

Worthy delivered a solid performance in the Chiefs’ Week 6 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, recording seven receptions on seven targets for 73 yards. However, his production took a sharp dip against the Seahawks, as he struggled to create separation from defenders and dropped a pass in a crucial second-half situation.

Seattle’s defense effectively neutralized Worthy’s impact, and he finished Sunday’s loss with just three receptions on six targets for 11 yards.

Following Worthy’s disappointing outing, Sharpe posted to criticize the wideout’s approach to route-running.

“Worthy just takes off running no move or anything. Speed isn’t any good IF* you don’t know how 2 use it,” Sharpe tweeted a 21-word reaction.

Sharpe’s criticism came after Kansas City’s offense struggled to find any rhythm against Seattle. The Seahawks limited the Chiefs to 213 total yards and 11 first downs while holding them to just three conversions on 11 third-down attempts.

Kansas City also failed to reach the red zone throughout the game, with its deepest advance coming to Seattle’s 27-yard line.

The offensive struggles prompted Sharpe to express his frustration during a later appearance on the “Nightcap” podcast, where he questioned the quality of the Chiefs’ receiving corps after watching their performance against the Seahawks.

Sharpe also said that he was “very disappointed” in Worthy, who finished second on Kansas City with six targets, behind Travis Kelce’s eight, but he ranked sixth on the team in receiving yards in the Seahawks game.

“If you watch him play, he’s fast for no reason,” Sharpe said. “If you look at him with him in the slot, that is a safety or a linebacker guarding you, and he’s running step for step guy. Why? Because all you did was badly.

“You didn’t give him a move. You didn’t give a nod. You didn’t stutter. You didn’t do anything.”

Worthy’s struggles have drawn attention because of his exceptional speed, which made him one of the most elite prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft. At the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine, Worthy ran the 40-yard dash in 4.21 seconds, setting a new combine record at the time.

However, speed alone has not been enough to consistently overcome NFL-level coverage. Sharpe’s co-host, former NFL wide receiver Chad Johnson, also spoke on that discussion while explaining why technical ability becomes increasingly important at the professional level.

“When you get to the NFL level, where the skill set gap is increased, what separates you is your technique,” Johnson said. “I don’t care how fast you are. You got to be able to separate. That’s the one thing in order to last in this league and play a very long time.”

As the Chiefs prepare for their Week 8 game against the Denver Broncos, Worthy’s inconsistent production remains a concern, as he has reached 70 receiving yards only twice. He currently ranks No. 56 in the PFN WR Impact rankings with a grade of 72.2.