Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice reached a significant milestone at the team’s training camp in St. Joseph, Missouri, on Wednesday.

Rice participated in 11-on-11 team drills for the first time this offseason. He has appeared to receive full clearance from his knee injury as he continues his ramp-up period during Chiefs training camp.

Rice had a knee debridement procedure this offseason to clean up debris in his surgically repaired knee. He did not participate in OTAs or mandatory minicamp. Rice was serving a 30-day jail sentence for violating the conditions of his probation during that stretch.

Rice takes next steps together at Kansas City Chiefs training camp with Sneed close behind

Throughout the early portion of training camp, Rice and cornerback L’Jarius Sneed were on a predetermined ramp-up schedule. Both players were on the field for warm-ups and install periods before leaving with athletic trainers to rehab in the indoor practice facility when team drills began. Sneed was still a free agent until the end of mandatory minicamp, which delayed his own progression.

During Tuesday’s practice, both Rice and Sneed saw developments. They stayed on the practice field and participated in 7-on-7 drills. Rice caught his first pass from quarterback Patrick Mahomes in team drills during that session, a meaningful checkpoint in his recovery timeline.

Wednesday marked the bigger step for Rice. The fourth-year receiver remained on the field for 11-on-11 team drills. He even reportedly caught a bubble screen that went for a short gain. The play itself was modest, but the implications were significant. Kansas City is comfortable with Rice taking on contact with that knee, which signals real progress in his rehab.

More work to be done, but Rice appears on track for an outsized role

There is probably more work to be done in terms of Rice’s recovery. His ability to be as quick and fast in and out of his breaks and cuts as before will take time. However, it’s clear that he is doing everything he needs to do to participate in training camp practice at this stage.

The Chiefs will still need to see how Rice performs through the remainder of training camp and the preseason. That said, he looks to have an outsized role on the offense once again during the 2026 NFL season.

Rice’s future in the NFL and with Kansas City very much remains up in the air. His ability to stay out of trouble off the field during the course of this season will be crucial in determining the trajectory of his career, both in the league and potentially in Kansas City.