The Kansas City Chiefs are preparing for another season with Super Bowl aspirations. This will pretty much be the case as long as Patrick Mahomes is suiting up for them behind center. At just 27-years-old, Mahomes has already won two MVPs, two Super Bowl MVPs, and two Super Bowls. He is on pace to be considered the greatest quarterback of all time and is pretty much already a shoe-in for the NFL Hall of Fame. Regardless, Mahomes and the Chiefs are undoubtedly focused on the present and working their way back to the Super Bowl for the 2023 campaign. As training camp progresses, all eyes will be on the defensive line and wide receiving corps as the two most intriguing position groups heading into the Chiefs season. With that being said, there is one player in particular at these positions that will be a huge variable for Kansas City this year. One surprising player that could make or break the Chiefs 2023 NFL season is Rashee Rice.
After breaking out onto the scene for the Chiefs towards the end of last year and scoring a touchdown in the Super Bowl, Kadarius Toney was riddled with expectations heading into training camp. Unfortunately, knee surgery now has him questionable for the start of the regular season, another injury setback in a tumultuous start to his NFL career that was defined by injuries while he was with the New York Giants. However, this has now opened up a very intriguing positional battle for the Kansas City Chiefs. Marquez Valdes-Scantling is currently listed as the No. 2 wide receiver on the depth chart, while Skyy Moore is the No. 3 option. This leaves Rashee Rice at No. 4 and Richie James at No. 5. None of these four guys are household names or have proven that they deserve more opportunities than the other, and with the best quarterback in football throwing them the ball, one will undoubtedly emerge as a tremendous weapon this year. Rashee Rice will be the most interesting to watch, becoming the Chiefs make or break player for the 2023 NFL season.
*Depth Chart via ESPN
Rashee Rice
While training camp continues to progress for the Kansas City Chiefs, all eyes will be on the wide receivers. Year after year, Patrick Mahomes finds a way to make the Kansas City offense hum regardless of having a star receiver or not. After Tyreek Hill left the Chiefs for the Miami Dolphins, many questioned whether or not the Chiefs offense would be as lethal as they had been. Mahomes quickly silenced those rumors, particularly last year in a season that ended in a Super Bowl victory. Nevertheless, the Chiefs do have the best tight end in the NFL in Travis Kelce; still, someone will have to emerge in the wide receiver corps this year, and it would come as no surprise for it to be rookie Rashee Rice.
Rice was drafted in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft out of Southern Methodist University. He had a very solid collegiate career and showed flashes of elite receiver potential, however he was never playing against the best competition. The Chiefs took him in the second round with the most likely intention of developing his game in 2023. However, with Toney out, the pass-catching hierarchy is now up for grabs in Kansas City, and Rice has a golden opportunity to start his career becoming an immediate difference maker on the best offense in the NFL.
The reason that Rice has an opportunity to be a make or break player for the Chiefs is the talent above him on the depth chart. Without Toney, the top receiver on the Chiefs is now Valdes-Scantling. He had a decent year in 2022 in his first Chiefs season, but he has established himself as a mid-tier wide receiver in his five NFL seasons so far. Not to mention, Valdes-Scantling has suffered drop issues for a majority of his career, so if he can't fix those before the start of the season, he will certainly give opportunities to guys below him to make up for his mistakes. When comparing Valdes-Scantling and Rice, the Chiefs would be prudent to side with the younger wide receiver with a lot more potential.
The greatest competition to Rashee Rice becoming a make or break player for the Chiefs in the 2023 NFL season is Skyy Moore. Moore had a very solid rookie season that saw him become more involved in the offense as the year progressed in 2022. Moore scored a touchdown in the Super Bowl, and he is heading into his second year with aspirations of becoming more than just a gadget guy in this offense. However, Rice is way more of a true wide receiver prospect and presents much more size and strength than what Moore does. Moore is going to be involved in the offense this year, but if Rice can prove in training camp that he is a better pure receiver, he could keep Moore at bay as a guy relegated to special play-calls. Stay tuned into the Chiefs training camp to see if Rashee Rice sets himself up to be a make or break player for Kansas City in the 2023 NFL season.
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