Chiefs' Rashee Rice breaking the mold for rookie receivers under Andy Reid
Kansas City Chiefs HC Andy Reid's offense is known to be unforgiving for rookie wide receivers, but 2023 second-round draft pick Rashee Rice is already breaking the mold. Reid's offense has always been known for its complexities, but it's particularly difficult for rookie receivers to pick up. We saw it just a season ago with Skyy […]
Kansas City Chiefs HC Andy Reid's offense is known to be unforgiving for rookie wide receivers, but 2023 second-round draft pick Rashee Rice is already breaking the mold.
Reid's offense has always been known for its complexities, but it's particularly difficult for rookie receivers to pick up. We saw it just a season ago with Skyy Moore, but this is a tradition that's really only ever been broken by a few players like DeSean Jackson and Tyreek Hill. It's partially because of the fact that Reid challenges rookies to know each of the three receiver positions (X, Z, and Zebra) inside and out.
Through the first three weeks of the 2023 NFL season, Rice has done his best to flip the script on this rookie wide receiver trend. Andy Reid has certainly taken notice, and in his press conference on Wednesday, he challenged Rice to keep going.
"I mean, he's growing in front of us here," Reid told reporter on Wednesday. "He's one of the young guys that looks like he's getting more on the same page with Pat (Mahomes). Pat spends a lot of time with him. He's got the right attitude. He wants to be good. And so, It's consistency. He had a nice game, he's coming off a nice game, now present it again and take another step this week. That's the attitude he needs to have and he seems to have that."
Rice is the team's leader in wide receiver targets (14), receptions (10), and touchdowns (1), all while having played just under 34% of the team's total offensive snaps. This last week, he had his highest percentage of playing time in a single game yet. He was inches away from adding two more touchdowns in Week 3 against the Bears. He's among the leaders in the NFL in targets per route run.
All signs point to Rice getting more work moving forward, but it's up to him to take full advantage of those opportunities and continue to show positive strides. Reid seemed hopeful that the rookie wouldn't squander those opportunities.
Chiefs injury report: 2 players to miss Wednesday practice
Kansas City Chiefs HC Andy Reid provided injury updates to start the practice week, including an update on a player placed on injured reserve.
