Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes loves what he has been seeing from rookie wide receiver Rashee Rice and raved about him ahead of Week 16.
“He’s still got a lot he can improve on which is crazy to say,” Mahomes said, via Charles Goldman of A to Z Sports. “He’s had such a great season. The little things that NFL receivers do – he’s got the explosiveness, he knows how to run the routes – but the nuance and the how you run the routes, how you set one route to run up another one.”
For all of the hits the Chiefs’ receiving corps has taken this season, Rice has been the one consistent member of the group.
Through the first 14 games of the year, Rice has caught 68 passes for 754 yards and seven touchdowns. Most recently, he logged a season-high nine catches for 91 yards and a score in a win over the New England Patriots last weekend.
But Mahomes is most impressed with Rice’s ability—and desire—to absorb information from the veterans.
“I’ll say this, he’s taken from the veterans Marquez (Valdes-Scantling), Justin Watson and Travis (Kelce),” added Patrick Mahomes. “He listens and he learns as much as he can and tries to take that in. I think that’s why he’s gotten better and better as the season’s gone on.”
Rice, who played his collegiate football at Southern Methodist University, was selected by Kansas City in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
“I’m young and I feel like every time I’m out there, there’s vets on the field all the time so every time I’m out there, I’m looking to learn something from all those guys so if it’s the smallest thing, or even if it’s the biggest thing, I’m going to try to put it into my game as soon as possible,” said Rice.
The 23-year-old has been particularly productive recently, totaling 32 receptions over his last four games. By contrast, he accumulated 36 catches over his first 10 contests.
The Chiefs are 9-5 and will battle the Las Vegas Raiders on Christmas Day. They will then take on the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Chargers to wrap up the regular season.
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