The Kansas City Chiefs somewhat unexpectedly won their second straight Super Bowl championship and their third in five years last season, making them a legitimate dynasty. What made that championship all the more impressive was the fact that they got it done with a makeshift group of young and unproven wide receivers.
Of that group, Rashee Rice looked to be the most promising.
As a rookie out of Southern Methodist University in 2023, he caught 79 passes for 938 yards and seven touchdowns and looked like perhaps a star in the making.
Unfortunately for the Chiefs, Rice is in some legal hot water these days.
He got into a car crash earlier this offseason and is facing eight felony charges as a result. The wide receiver also allegedly punched a photographer at a club in Dallas about a month ago, although the victim reportedly declined to press charges.
Even if Rice wins acquittal of all the charges he’s facing in connection to that car crash he was involved in, Kansas City is facing the real possibility that he will be disciplined internally by the NFL.
James Palmer said on “Up & Adams” that the team is expecting him to be suspended for a number of games this coming season.
Rice missing some games would be a sizable blow for a Chiefs team that still lacks proven threats at wide receiver.
Perhaps in preparation for him getting punished one way or another, they drafted speedster Xavier Worthy in the first round of April’s draft while also signing Marquise Brown in free agency.
While Brown isn’t quite a Pro Bowl-caliber wideout, he is the type of player who could provide a temporary patchwork solution should Rice be out for a while.
Meanwhile, Worthy broke an NFL scouting combine record by running the 40-yard dash in 4.21 seconds. The Chiefs are hoping to develop him into a legitimate primary threat in their passing game, and while Tyreek Hill may not be the best comparison for him, head coach Andy Reid did say Worthy has some similarities to DeSean Jackson, who played for Reid years ago on the Philadelphia Eagles and made three Pro Bowls.
Then there is the Patrick Mahomes factor. The superstar quarterback has proven he can make the most out of a limited wide receiver cast, especially in 2023 when the team evolved into a dink-and-dunk unit in its passing game.
The days of doubting Mahomes when he doesn’t have a major threat in the passing game are long gone. If Rashee Rice has to miss several games, the Chiefs should be able to find a way to at least be in the conversation come January and February.
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