It's been a talking point since the first night of the 2024 NFL Draft: "How did the Buffalo Bills let the Kansas City Chiefs get Xavier Worthy?"
Buffalo entered night one with the 28th overall selection and a dire need for an impactful pass-catcher after parting ways with both Stefon Diggs and Gabriel Davis earlier in the offseason. When the Bills went on the clock late that Thursday night, general manager Brandon Beane opted to trade the pick to the Kansas City Chiefs, the team that has eliminated Buffalo from the playoffs in three of the last four seasons. The Bills gained a third-round draft pick for dropping back a few slots while the Chiefs gained the opportunity to select Worthy, a Texas speedster who had just broken the record for the fastest 40-yard dash in the history of the NFL Scouting Combine.
Buffalo would ultimately trade out of the first round entirely before selecting Florida State wide receiver Keon Coleman in the second round, using the third-round pick it acquired from Kansas City on Duke defensive tackle DeWayne Carter. And though there’s been discourse regarding Worthy and Coleman since the Bills’ in-draft maneuvers, it’s safe to say that both teams got what they were looking for in the deal, as both Worthy and Coleman look like genuine long-term offensive contributors for their respective clubs. The value of Carter cannot be understated, either.
While fans will always talk about Worthy and Coleman in the same conversation, the ‘animosity’ does not stretch to the rookies themselves, as Worthy gave the Buffalo pass-catcher his signed jersey after the Bills’ Week 11 win over the Chiefs; Coleman did not suit up in the bout due to a wrist injury.
This was Coleman's second consecutive missed game due to his wrist injury, and the team is crossing its fingers he can return after the bye week. The 21-year-old currently ranks second on the Bills in receiving yards with 417, posting this total on 22 receptions with three touchdowns. Worthy, for his part, has 25 receptions for 307 yards and four touchdowns through 10 games; however, he has another 44 yards rushing and two more touchdowns. He contributed four receptions, 61 yards, and a touchdown in the Bills 30-21 victory.
The draft day trade will eternally link Coleman and Worthy regardless of whether or not said connection is fair, as there's no evidence to suggest that Buffalo chose Coleman over Worthy or whether the Longhorns receiver was even on its radar. Fans of both teams will continue to debate the merits of the deal, who won, and who lost. However, the players respect each other and don't carry that same level of fan discourse amongst themselves. It's okay to like both players and understand that both the Bills and Chiefs made the selections they felt were best for them in the short and long terms.
And both selections have paid off thus far; Kansas City is 9-1 while the Bills head into their Week 12 bye sporting a 9-2 record, their best start since 1992. The bye comes at a good time, too, with the Bills nursing a few injuries to key players, Coleman among them. Head coach Sean McDermott told reporters last week that the team is not considering placing the rookie on injured reserve, meaning that he could be in line to return shortly after their bye week.
