The Kansas City Chiefs welcomed Rashee Rice back to on-field action after a lengthy absence for numerous reasons.
The Kansas City Chiefs are still sorting out their situation at wide receiver, and ther are plenty of moving parts and pieces. One of the most important ones is Rashee Rice, who’s been slow to get back on the field due to a combination of his legal issues and the cleanup surgery he underwent back in May just before he left the team to serve a 30-day jail sentence related to a street racing incident he was responsible for back in 2024.
The latest update was better than expected from what we’ve been hearing lately from Nate Taylor of ESPN. He reported that Rice was back on the field during 11-on-11 repetitions, which Taylor said was “a positive sign that his acclimation process is going well.”
Rice’s surgery designed to remove loose debris that was causing inflammation, and as a result the Chiefs have been cautious about the receiver’s participation.
Taylor added that most of Rice’s work occurred during the red zone session, as he had several short receptions, including a bubble screen on the perimeter and a touchdown in the back of the end zone. Both plays reflect the level of caution, as the Chiefs probably don’t want to turn Rice loose in the middle of the field until they’re sure he can handle that kind of workload.
Rice did show signes of fatigue before the long-drive drill, which was the final part of 11-on-11 work. The receiver was also held out of the first 12 repetitions conducted by the first-team offense, according to Taylor.
"He got a lot of good reps today, which is important," Reid said of Rice. "We've just got to ease him back in and just keep working. We know he's a good player. He actually got better as the practice went on, so that was a good thing."
There is a level of urgency that’s going to be reflected soon, however. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes seems to be progressing quickly as he continues his rehab from knee surgery, and Rice needs to be with him on the field with parts of the offense being revamped to feature Mahomes under center more.
Other receiver injuries are part of the picture here as well. Both Xavier Worthy and Cyrus Allen missed practice yesterday due to injuries that are believed to be minor at this point, with Worthy sustaining a shoulder injury and Allen day-to-day with a shin bruise. The Chiefs will be playing preseason games very soon, and that work is important as well, even if Mahomes doesn’t play.
