Chiefs WR Rashee Rice not letting off-field distractions slow his second-year development
No player in the NFL has had a more tumultuous offseason than Kansas City Chiefs WR Rashee Rice. If the first day of mandatory minicamp is any indication, Rice is not letting any of the outside noise phase him. Rice, of course, faces multiple felony charges and civil suits for his involvement in a multi-vehicle […]
No player in the NFL has had a more tumultuous offseason than Kansas City Chiefs WR Rashee Rice. If the first day of mandatory minicamp is any indication, Rice is not letting any of the outside noise phase him.
Rice, of course, faces multiple felony charges and civil suits for his involvement in a multi-vehicle crash in the Dallas, Texas area earlier this offseason. He's expected to be suspended by the NFL for a violation of the league's personal conduct policy, but the timing and length of that suspension is still unknown. He doesn't appear to be letting that factor into his preparation for the 2024 NFL season. He posted a standout practice session at mandatory minicamp on Tuesday, during which many would have named him the MVP of the day for the offensive side of the ball.
According to our friend Pete Sweeney of 610 Sports Radio and Arrowhead Pride fame, Rice had five receptions during 11-on-11 team drills on Tuesday. Three of those catches were touchdown grabs. During 7-on-7 team drills, he added another three receptions, including one for a touchdown. So, in total on the day, we're talking eight receptions and 24 points.
One of the plays most referenced throughout the day was a deep touchdown down the left sideline. The reason that play caught the attention of media members is that the deep ball wasn't exactly a big part of Rashee Rice's repertoire during his rookie season. He was targeted in the short-to-intermediate range with much greater frequency last season and left to his own devices.
With the Chiefs making a concerted effort to resurrect the deep ball in this offense, it seems like they won't just rely on smaller, speedy receivers to make that happen. When Rice is on the field, he'll have a chance to compete in that facet of the game as well. That's a significant and fun development, which could make the offense that much deadlier in 2024.
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