Chiefs' OC Matt Nagy isn't worried about preseason problem

Justin Churchill — College Football & NFL Trending News Writer

Sep 5, 2023 9:49 AM EDT

The Kansas City Chiefs are coming into 2023 with another year of new receivers and not having a WR1. Last season, it was thought to be a potentially big issue. However, Patrick Mahomes had his best season to date, winning the MVP and the Super Bowl MVP.

But there was an issue in the preseason that definitely should be addressed. A few of the receivers had drops, and some of those drops were big plays, too.

In particular, Rashee Rice, the rookie wide receiver, had a bad drop problem. He dropped two in their last preseason game, including one that could have been a wide-open touchdown and two others in other games.

But the coaches aren't really worried about that being a problem.

"I don't know, it's, it's not a concern because we see what he does in practice with the great catches that he makes in practice," offensive coordinator Matt Nagy said. "And I think sometimes when you get to those moments, and yeah, they are big moments that you got to use it the right way.

"And so the support he had on the sideline from other teammates and players and from coaches just shows the trust we have. He's going to make great plays this year, and it's, you know, if you start getting down on somebody or start worrying about the drops or this or that it can become a bigger problem, we're not concerned."

There was a time when another rookie receiver had a similar issue. Two rookie receivers in recent years have had similar issues.

Mecole Hardman, when he was a rookie, fumbled several punts. Fans got so aggravated with him. Then, when he made the Pro Bowl as a returner, fans completely forgot about the issue. The same can be said for Skyy Moore, who has had several drops as a returner and even a few as a receiver, yet everyone knows that this guy is destined for a big year.

I'm on the same page as Nagy, believing this isn't a big deal like people might think. Rice is a rookie and hasn't even played in an actual NFL game yet. Those games were his first ever. Rookies will make mistakes. When Rice was at SMU, we didn't see this as an issue.

I think the issue will go away. We could see a drop in Week 1 because this is his first game. But Rice is destined to have a big year as a rookie.