Rashee Rice Sounds Like He Could Follow Travis Kelce’s Offensive Footsteps

While you’ve probably heard a great deal about the collective struggles of the Kansas City Chiefs’ receiving corps, there has been a bright spot during the 2023 campaign.

After a slow start to the season, Rashee Rice has found his stride. Through 14 games, the rookie has caught 68 passes for 754 yards and seven touchdowns. Given that receivers usually take some time to adjust to life in the pros, those numbers are extremely encouraging.

But that’s not the only positive sign he’s showing. During a recent podcast conversation with T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Rice spoke about his efforts to hone a part of his game that sounds reminiscent of Travis Kelce.

And, as Chiefs fans can confirm, emulating No. 87 isn’t a bad thing.

Let’s roll the tape and check things out.

Rice Spoke About Adding to His Routes

If you’re watching from the stands (or going by what you’ve seen playing Madden), it’s easy to think of a wide receiver’s route as an immutable thing. You run in a straight line, cut at a specific location and hope the quarterback throws the ball your way.

When the rubber meets the road, though, things are a bit more flexible.

During a Fubo Sports interview, Rice spoke to that reality. When Houshmandzadeh asked him how actively he had thought about setting the club’s rookie record for receiving touchdowns, the SMU product explained that his focus was elsewhere.

“When I got drafted, I wasn’t thinking about no records,” Rice said. “Nothing like that. I was thinking about being able to learn the offense cause they said this is a hard offense for rookies to, you know, learn. Rookies don’t usually play under Coach Reid, and stuff like that. So, I took that to heart, so I just, I locked in on the plays and make sure I knew, you know, knew what I had to do when I touched the field.

“And then just me leaning the offense, the repetition, kind of built me, built confidence so I could just start trying stuff in the middle of my routes or just knowing like maybe if I give a little stutter right here and then run the basic, I’ll be in the middle of the field as soon as Pat [Mahomes] gonna, you know, as soon as Pat looks to the middle of the field. He’ll go through his reads, and I’m gonna be right there. Just knowing the timing as far as, you know, when the quarterback’s gonna throw the ball.”

Upon first pass, that sounds positive, if a bit unremarkable. It’s good to hear about a rookie putting in the work, but you could also argue that learning the offense and establishing chemistry is the bare minimum. But, specifically within a Chiefs context, Rice’s quotes sound encouraging.

While Kelce is undeniably gifted, he’s also incredibly adept at reading the game. Earlier this season, we heard him explain that everything he does is predicated on the opposition defense. We’ve also heard plenty of quotes about how he largely has the license to improvise his routes and simply get open for Mahomes. The two stars still have enough chemistry to connect, even if things aren’t formally planned out.

And while Rice isn’t working at a Kelce level just yet, let’s return to what he said. After establishing some confidence and getting to grips with the offense, he started adding wrinkles to his routes, like an extra stutter-step coming off the line of scrimmage. That hesitation allows him to be in the right place at the right time, catching the ball in stride.

Whether you want to call that having a good football mind, reading the defense or anything else, it’s a positive that Rice is developing that ability at this early stage of his NFL career. That understanding is the foundation for larger creative leaps. And, based on the stats, it does seem like he and Mahomes are developing an understanding.

While that’s important for this season—the crux of K.C.’s issues has been the lack of a reliable secondary option behind No. 87—it also bodes well for the club moving forward. The tight end may be an all-world talent, but no one can play football forever. Kelce is going to slow down at some point (and eventually retire) meaning someone will have to pick up the slack. And even if there’s not a one-for-one replacement on the roster, Rice is at least showing early signs that he can be a reliable option with the ability to follow along with Mahomes’ metaphorical jazz.

When the play breaks down, someone has to step up and make themselves available as a receiving option.

Given the rest of the club’s receiver room, the hope that Rice can be that target is certainly something to cling to moving forward.