Travis Kelce says he has 'no excuse' for collision that injured Xavier Worthy vs. Chargers: 'Got to be better'

Kelce says he owes Worthy 'big time' after collision resulted in a dislocated shoulder

Travis Kelce's 2025 season didn't get off to the start he wanted. The Chiefs fell to 0-1 on the year with a loss to the Chargers in Brazil and while the star tight end caught a touchdown in the loss, he also injured teammate Xavier Worthy in a big collision on a mesh concept over the middle of the field early in the game. 

Worthy will miss some time with a dislocated shoulder due to the collision, and Kelce addressed the incident on the latest episode of the New Heights podcast on Wednesday, taking responsibility for not getting the right depth on his route and saying he "felt like shit" afterwards for injuring Worthy and taking a big part of the Chiefs' game plan out of action.  

"I'm supposed to be running my route at depth for Worthy. So, it's frustrating for me. I was trying to kind of set up my guy to be able to get in position and it all just happened pretty quick," Kelce said. "I just got to be better, man. I'm 13 years into the league. There's no excuse for me running into my own guys like that and being able to play fast and help him out. Worthy had his guy beat and we're out the gate and that game starts completely different. Instead, I'm not sure where he is exactly in terms of health-wise, but I'm hoping that we get him back as fast as possible because he means so much to this team.

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"And I was his biggest -- not just fan, I can see that guy and how hard he works and I can see his game getting better and I know he's going to take the league by storm when he gets back. The biggest thing is that he's one of our best players. He's gonna take that step into being one of the best wide receivers in the National Football League. And I run into him and all of a sudden one of the biggest pieces of the game plan is out of the game. One of the fastest guys in the league -- and speed kills in this league -- is out of the game and they don't have to worry about that.

"I owe my guy big time, man. X knows it. I felt like shit. I could barely even f---ing play the rest of that first half, but we geared it up once I found out he was in better spirits than I imagined at halftime." 

The Chiefs' offense is already without Rashee Rice for the first six games of the season due to suspension, and Worthy was set to take over as their lead receiver with Rice out. Now that burden shifts to Hollywood Brown (who had 10 catches for 99 yards against L.A.), JuJu Smith-Schuster and Tyquan Thornton. 

Kelce and fellow tight end Noah Gray will also need to help pick up the slack in the pass catching area, but without Rice and Worthy, defenses will be even less concerned about passes over the top. They'll condense the field and make it even more difficult for Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs' offense to operate, and Kansas City will have to find ways to make due until their top receiving threats return.