Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy
released after Texas district attorney declines to pursue charges
[March 10, 2025]
By JIM VERTUNO and DAVE SKRETTA
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Xavier Worthy was released Saturday after a
district attorney in Texas declined to pursue charges against the
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver following an arrest in which he had
been accused of felony domestic violence.
Williamson County District Attorney Shawn Dick told the Austin
American-Statesman his office had spoken with witnesses and was not
accepting the case at this time. He also said Worthy and his lawyers
were fully cooperating with the investigation.
Records showed that Worthy had been arrested Friday by deputies and
held in the county jail on a charge of assault on a family or
household member in which their breath was impeded, or choking in
common terms. The online court listing for the case was updated to
“dismissed/declined” later Saturday.
Williamson County includes parts of Austin, where Worthy played
college football at the University of Texas.
In a statement, Worthy's attorneys, Chip Lewis and Sam Bassett, said
their client was innocent of the charge against him. They said the
allegation was made by a female who had been living in Worthy's
home, and that she had been asked to leave the home multiple times
over the last two weeks “upon discovery of her infidelity.”
“She has refused to vacate the residence and made a number of
extortive efforts prior to resorting to this baseless allegation
against Mr. Worthy,” the lawyers' statement said. “The complainant
further destroyed a room in the residence, scratched Mr. Worthy's
face and ripped out parts of his hair, which there is photographic
evidence of. Worthy told law enforcement at the time of the incident
he did not want to press charges against the complainant.”
The Chiefs told The Associated Press on Saturday that they were
aware of the situation and still gathering information.
Under Texas law, impeding breathing means “intentionally, knowingly
or recklessly impeding the normal breathing or circulation of the
blood of the person by applying pressure to the person’s throat or
neck or by blocking the person’s nose or mouth.”
Worthy was chosen by the Chiefs with the 28th overall pick in last
year's draft after setting the record for the fastest 40-yard dash
at the NFL combine. He got off to a quick start by scoring a pair of
touchdowns in his NFL debut, and after a midseason lull, he became
the Chiefs' go-to wide receiver as they chased an unprecedented
third consecutive Super Bowl title.
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Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy addresses the media
before NFL football practice, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, in Kansas
City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)
Worthy finished with 59 catches for 638 yards and
six TDs while running 20 times for 104 yards and three more scores.
He was one of the few bright spots for the Chiefs in a 40-22 loss to
Philadelphia in the Super Bowl, too. Worthy caught all eight of his
targets for 157 yards and a pair of touchdowns at the Superdome in
New Orleans.
The Chiefs came to rely on Worthy in part because of a season-ending
injury to wide receiver Rashee Rice, who was coming off a brilliant
rookie season of his own. Rice caught 24 passes for 288 yards and
two TDs in four games before getting hurt.
Rice and another driver, Theodore Knox, were involved in a
high-speed car crash in March 2024 that triggered a chain reaction
on a highway in Dallas, close to where he had played college
football at SMU. Rice is currently facing at least two civil
lawsuits along with numerous criminal charges for his role in the
wreck.
Rice turned himself in following the crash, and his attorney, Texas
Sen. Royce West, said that the wide receiver admitted that he was
driving the Lamborghini involved. Rice also posted on social media
that he took responsibility for his role in the crash.
___
Skretta reported from Kansas City, Missouri. Associated Press writer
Juan A. Lozano contributed to this report from Houston.
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