Kansas City Chiefs’ coaches are all saying the exact same thing about WR Rashee Rice’s first week back at practice
If we take what Kansas City Chiefs coaches are saying at its word, Rashee Rice has positioned himself to make an instant impact upon his return.
Kansas City Chiefs WR Rashee Rice officially completed his first week back at practice following his six-game suspension and his 2024 knee injury. Rice’s usage for Week 7 against the Las Vegas Raiders remains to be seen, but he’s certainly positioned himself to make an immediate impact.
“He’s been working hard and he’s in good shape,” Chiefs HC Andy Reid said ahead of Wednesday’s practice.
As the practice week progressed, it became increasingly clear that Rice has himself in great shape for the 2025 NFL season.
“Yeah, he looks good,” Chiefs WR coach Connor Embree said on Thursday. “He looks in good shape, and he’s been doing what he’s supposed to have been doing since he’s been gone.”
With the final say on the matter on Friday, Coach Reid let reporters know precisely what he’d seen out of Rice in practice on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.
“Yeah, I mean, he looks sharp,” Reid said. “It’s not a game, but what we asked him to do, he did well. And one thing is, you can tell he’s in good shape. It’s always your worry when somebody misses a few weeks, because it’s different when you’re playing. But he busted his tail, did a nice job there. Now, it’s just a matter of getting in a game and getting reps there, so we’ll see how all that goes.”
As for those game repetitions, if Rice can handle everything the team gives him without making any mistakes, he could be in for an outsized helping on Sunday afternoon against the Raiders.
“I’m gonna just watch him in the game and see how he does,” Reid said of Rice. “He knows everything. It’s just I don’t know how much he — how many reps he’s gonna get. I’m sure it won’t be every rep. Yeah, so, I’d like to see how he does with what we give him.”
What did Rashee Rice do during his suspension to stay prepared for this moment?
Staying in great shape doesn’t happen overnight as an NFL player. So, what exactly did Rice do over the last six weeks to maintain his game readiness and ensure he’d be able to hit the ground running? He made sure to mimic the conditions of training camp, combining them with a weekly routine similar to the one he’ll soon become engrossed in during the NFL season.
“Honestly, I went down to Florida, where it’s hot,” Rice told reporters on Friday. “Try to keep myself in the heat, just like, similar to St. Joe, just train every day, Monday through Friday, and do some type of workout on Sunday, to have my mind ready to get active on a game day.”
Chiefs WR Rashee Rice vs. Raiders Historical Stats
- Games Played: 2
- Receptions: 14
- Receiving Yards: 164
- Touchdowns: 1
Needless to say, Rice is champing at the bit to trade in his suspension routine for a game of football.
“Yeah, this week is really big,” Rice said. “It’s been a while since I got to play in a regular-season game with my guys, so I’m very excited to be out there, to go out there and compete.”
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