Kansas City Chiefs Wide Receiver Xavier Worthy was arrested in Williamson County, Texas, on Friday night. The former Texas Longhorns standout was booked on a charge of assaulting a family member and impeding their breath or circulation. The arrest, which surfaced through publicly available jail records, quickly became a major topic of discussion.
His legal team denied the allegations, calling them “baseless” and emphasizing their client’s cooperation with law enforcement. The Williamson County District Attorney’s office announced Saturday evening, after reviewing evidence and speaking with witnesses, it would not pursue charges.
Worthy’s Arrest and Legal Details
Worthy was taken into custody in Georgetown, Texas, about 30 miles from Austin. While specific details about the incident remain unclear, his charge of assault by impeding breath or circulation is classified as a third-degree felony under Texas law. A conviction for this offense carries a potential prison sentence of two to ten years and a fine of up to $10,000.
Williamson County District Attorney Shawn Dick initially stated that his office was reviewing the case before deciding whether to proceed with charges. The sheriff’s department declined to release the arrest affidavit, keeping details of the arrest confidential. This lack of public information left many speculating about what led to the situation.
By Saturday, Dick confirmed that after speaking with multiple witnesses, his office would not be accepting the case. This decision effectively cleared Worthy of any legal consequences, though the situation has sparked significant public and media scrutiny.
Legal Team and Defense
His attorneys, Chip Lewis and Sam Bassett, issued a firm statement defending their client. They claimed the accusation stemmed from a personal dispute and that Worthy was the target of extortion attempts. According to their statement, the alleged victim had been asked to leave Worthy’s residence after he discovered her infidelity, leading to what they described as a retaliatory claim.
The defense team expressed confidence in law enforcement’s ability to uncover the complete story. Worthy’s representatives were transparent about the process, making it clear he was fully cooperating with the authorities to do what they had to do to confirm Worthy’s innocence. This means Worthy’s team believed this case would be dismissed and the case would not be pursued. They were correct. The district attorney’s office declined to file any charges.
NFL Career and Future Implications
This arrest temporarily overshadowed what had been a promising start to an NFL career. Before entering the NFL, Worthy attended Texas. His college tenure as a Longhorn was from 2021-2023, where he finished fourth in program history in receiving yards. Then at the NFL Combine, he set the record for the fastest 40-yard dash in history. This set him up to be selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Kansas City Chiefs moved up in the draft to draft him 28th overall. In his first season with the team, he quickly became their go-to target as the season progressed. Worthy finished the season with 638 receiving yards and 9 total touchdowns. Two of which came against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX. Despite the defeat in that game, it was clear after Worthy’s performance that they had secured one of the best young receivers in the entire league.
Following his arrest, the Chiefs organization released a brief statement saying they were “aware and gathering information.” Now that the case has been dropped, the focus will shift to how this situation impacts Worthy’s career. Public perception and team dynamics could affect how he moves past this incident.
Final Thoughts
With no charges ultimately being filed against Worthy, at least for the time being, he avoided any long-term legal consequences. Now, Worthy can take a step back from this incident and turn his focus back to football. Worthy remains a key piece of Kansas City’s future. While it is likely that the Chiefs will take further steps to address this situation internally, there is no active legal case against him so his status with the team has not changed.
What comes next for the receiver is unknown, but he will certainly be under a microscope moving forward. How he handles this off-field controversy in the coming months will determine whether this incident was just a one-off or something more that will continue to affect his career.
