The Kansas City Chiefs announced their annual team awards on Friday as offensive lineman Joe Thuney and wide receiver Xavier Worthy were each honored for their respective efforts in 2024.
Thuney was the recipient of the "Derrick Thomas Award," which is annually presented to the Chiefs' most valuable player. Thuney, who also earned Associated Press "First-Team" All-Pro honors in 2024, ranked second among all offensive guards in terms of pass-blocking last season according to Pro Football Focus, but his late-season efforts at left tackle were perhaps even more impactful. Thuney, despite lining up across from the likes of edge rushers such as T.J. Watt, Danielle Hunter, Von Miller and Myles Garrett, yielded just two sacks in his seven starts at left tackle. Specifically, from Week 16 through the AFC Championship Game, Thuney allowed just seven pressures across 166 pass-blocking snaps.
In other words, Thuney's contributions were a significant reason behind Kansas City's run to a third-straight Super Bowl berth.
Another critical competent to the Chiefs' success in 2024 was Worthy, who was named the recipient of the annual "Mack Lee Hill Award" on Friday. The honor – which is named in remembrance of the late Mack Lee Hill, a tailback for the Chiefs who tragically passed away during his second season with the team – is annually presented to Kansas City's top rookie or first-year player.
Worthy caught 59 passes for 638 yards and nine total touchdowns last season, trailing only Jacksonville Jaguars' wide receiver Brian Thomas in terms of total touchdowns among all rookies in 2024. Worthy tallied at least 40 yards from scrimmage in each of his final 10 games last season (including the playoffs), and his 287 receiving yards during the postseason were the second-most by a rookie all-time.
These awards were voted on by the players themselves, representing a true composite of how the locker room felt about Thuney and Worthy throughout the year. Their efforts were integral to the Chiefs' run to a third-straight AFC championship, making these individual honors more than deserved.
