Rashee Rice details how he got a head start in Chiefs training camp ahead of Patrick Mahomes linkup (EXCLUSIVE)
It's difficult being a rookie wideout with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Head coach Andy Reid hasn't exactly favoured rookie wide receivers in his system, and the Chiefs have also been a little hit-and-miss when it comes to drafting and filling out the WR room.
That could change in 2023.
Rashee Rice, the Chiefs' second-round pick out of SMU, has seen his stock rise in training camp.
Chiefs WR Rashee Rice is explosive. #ChiefsKingdom
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Rice recorded 1,355 yards receiving on 96 receptions and 10 touchdowns during his final season at SMU, numbers that prompted Kansas City to move up nine spots to grab him in the second round.
Now, as the Netflix cameras disappear into thin air, the Chiefs are looking to run it back this year, and as long as Patrick Mahomes is under center, the Lombardi will be within touching distance of the Chiefs' ambitions.
Speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda this week at Chiefs training camp, Rice said on his acclimation to the team:
“During the summer, through the break, I was meeting with (QB) Shane Buechele, every day, every morning, just running routes, and putting the ball at each hash so we could work our own two-minute drills."
Chiefs training camp: Rashee Rice in the spotlight
In an offense coordinated by Matt Nagy and orchestrated by one of the best offensive coaches in all of professional football – Chiefs head coach Andy Reid – Rice would be forgiven for taking his time with learning the ins and outs of the system.
But the rookie WR is wasting no time in learning the playbook.
"Meeting with Shane (Buechele) during our break gave me a head start just because he is a quarterback, and he can’t really take a break from the playbook,” Rice said. “Every day, I meet with Shane in his dorm to go over plays before the next day.”
Nagy seems to approve.
He told reporters last week that Rice has “made incremental improvements” each day and has been the one player who has seen the majority of the first-team repetitions since third-year man Kadarius Toney injured his knee during a special teams’ drill early in Chiefs training camp.
Rashee Rice spoke on Mahomes' preferences for his receivers, and this bit about them needing to look up when they run instead of back because Mahomes could be throwing them a deep ball at anytime is pretty funny. pic.twitter.com/SJFB1CfOru
Chiefs' Rashee Rice aiming for a seamless transition into Patrick Mahomes' Super Bowl-winning offense
Making the transition from college football to the NFL has always been a big ask of rookies.
The Chiefs had their fair share of growing pains with Skyy Moore last year.
Moore's rookie numbers weren't the most impressive. He had 22 catches for 250 yards, with a pair of fumbles. The Chiefs were banking on Kadarius Toney to lead the WR group, choosing against making big-name moves for Odell Beckham Jr., DeAndre Hopkins, or even Adam Thielen.
Luv You #ChiefsKingdomReport slightly wrong but I’ll definitely be bakk soon❤️💛 Luv You #ChiefsKingdom
With Toney's availability for Week 1 up in the air, Rice has been getting the most reps, and he's grasping the opportunity with both hands.
Rice said of the Chiefs:
“I kind of felt the relationship that me and (Chiefs wide receivers coach Connor Embree and OC Matt Nagy) had was solid.
"It was just kind of comfortable and with them being a championship team, I knew I wanted to be a part of that. It wasn’t so much what they said to me, it was kind of how they treated me and how they made me feel comfortable even though I wasn’t a part of the team yet.”
While Netflix crews are unlikely to follow the Chiefs around like they did last year, the scrutiny will certainly be on Kansas City in their hopes of emulating a repeat of last year.
If Rice has anything to say on that quest, the Chiefs will be well on their way to setting the league alight.
“I lost a lot of weight during the off time that we had so that I could come back and be lighter on my feet,” Rice said.
With Patrick Mahomes working his magic, Rice will have to be quick on his feet to dance with the Chiefs. If he has his way, Kansas City will be celebrating the beginning of a dynasty come February.