It can be hard to establish yourself in the NFL as a rookie receiver. It can be even harder when you get drafted by the Chiefs and get thrust into the starting role immediately. Rashee Rice was put in that role, and found a way to thrive, putting together a solid rookie resume and helping the Chiefs win their second straight Super Bowl.
Rice finished the season with 79 receptions for 938 yards and 7 Touchdowns. He finished second all time in Chiefs history for rookie receiving yards behind Dwayne Bowe and set the record for rookie touchdowns in a season. He also established himself in the playoffs, catching 26 of 33 targets for 262 yards and 1 Touchdown.
Rashee came from a bit of a smaller college market in SMU, but playing in Texas always provides a big show and during media day he explained there wasn’t much pressure in coming to a team like the Chiefs, even with their championship pedigree.
“Being drafted in the second round I knew I was going to be able to come here and have an impact, and I was more than Ready for that moment. The Chiefs saw that I believed in myself and now we’re here in the Super Bowl,” Rice said.
Rice was able to soak in the championship culture during his rookie year with the Chiefs and it allowed for him to be successful on the field and develop his skills as a leader in the Wide-receiver room off the field.
Although he was the #1 receiver on the depth chart, Rice understood that there were many veterans in the WR room that he would be able to learn from and help set him up for success this season. When a team is able to consistently be successful like the Chiefs, it develops leadership skills for all players, even one’s that may not be playing the biggest impact on the field.
If a talented rookie comes in, there aren’t many better situations than being in a Chiefs locker room where everyone is driven to win, and Rice took advantage of that in year 1.
“Taking Wisdom from the older guys and listening to what they have to say. Not necessarily taking it to the heart but taking it on the chin a little bit. They’re helping me become the best version of myself,” Rice said.
If Rice was implying there was some tough love coming from the Chiefs veterans that wouldn’t be surprising, as with Travis Kelce being one of the most established veterans offensively for the Chiefs, it can be expected his style of leadership will be Vocal and upfront.
Whatever kind of leadership Rice received, it worked and well. Rice earned the trust of his Coaches and teammates, week by week and his role developed to the point that he got 8 targets in the Super Bowl and turned that into 6 catches for 39 yards. Although not eye-popping stats, he was a consistent target for the offense and contributed a key first down in overtime.
Coach Andy Reid noted his improvement throughout the year but knowing that Rice is a smart person who was willing to work hard for his spot on this team, and not expect anything to be given, helped him be comfortable in expanding the rookie’s role in year 1.
“Rashee has improved every week. He is smart, he’s tough and he works hard at his job and makes sure he spends enough time with his quarterback,” Coach Reid said.
The development of the relationship between Rice and Mahomes is important, because as Mahomes noted, the dynasty is only beginning in Kansas City. Having a consistent receiving target outside of Kelce would make this offense even more dangerous than it already is, and it’s not too far fetched from becoming a reality for the chiefs, as everyone in the building is confident in Rice and his development.
As many of the Chiefs receivers who could have taken targets away from Rice struggled, he thrived in this system and played a crucial role in the Chiefs offense. Outside of Tyreek Hill, the Chiefs have struggled to find another receiver that can consistently draw coverage away from Travis Kelce. If the offense is able to get Rice to a point where he is forcing more defensive looks and opening up the field for Kelce, the offense could see itself rise back to some of the record setting numbers it put up just a few years ago.
The Chiefs offense dipped down a bit this year and it still didn’t stop them, but just a year ago they put up over 7000 total yards of offense, and in 2018 they scored over 565 points. It’s possible this offense only gets better, and Rashee Rice developing into a true threat will only help them get back to putting up those Madden Like Numbers.
The Chiefs may look to develop Rice’s role more from his current yards after catch specialty and try to get him more down the field looks, similar to what Tyreek Hill was able to provide when he was blazing the sidelines in the Red & Gold. If they can get just some of the down field production that Hill was able to provide, both Rice and this Chiefs offense could be in for a record setting year in 2024.
Whatever develops next season for Rice and Kansas City, he will be ready for it and take it in stride, just as he’s done all year long.
