The 2024 NFL season is just getting started, yet Kansas City Chiefs fans can already expect Rashee Rice to be Patrick Mahomes‘ favorite target this year. After an impressive rookie season, the second-round pick seems to be embracing an even bigger role in his second year as a pro.
Three weeks into this season, Rice leads the Chiefs in targets, receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns. This obviously makes Mahomes happy, but the quarterback warned the wideout that he expects even more from him.
“He’s a guy who’s going to make plays happen,” Mahomes said of Rice, via Arrowhead Pride. “He’s done a great job of when they’re putting all that attention on Travis (Kelce), he’s making stuff happen underneath. … He’s a legit, number one receiver. You see that every single week, he’s making more and more plays. I’m just super proud of what he’s done already, but I think he has another level he can even unlock.”
Rice is building on a great rookie year, having been the only bright spot from the Chiefs’ wide receivers in 2023. In fact, the SMU product only trailed Travis Kelce among pass catchers last season. Now, he’s way above the tight end on the stats sheet.
That impactful entry to the NFL seems to be paying off, as Mahomes trusts in Rice enough to provide him with more passes than his other targets. However, the Chiefs quarterback wants to make sure the 24-year-old raises the bar even higher.
Rashee Rice strongly defends Patrick Mahomes
Rice comes off a strong performance for the Chiefs, recording 12 catches for 110 yards and a touchdown during Sunday night’s win against the Atlanta Falcons. Apart from finding the end zone for the second straight week, he logged more than half of Mahomes’ passing yards at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The quarterback wasn’t happy with his own performance in Week 3, delivering a self-critical assessment during his postgame press conference. Rice, therefore, came to Mahomes’ defense with a very clear message for his QB.
“I love that just because he’s the greatest quarterback I’ve ever played with, so whenever he feels like he hasn’t had a great game, I feel the same way,” Rice said. “So, we just got to get back to practice so we can do better together.”