The Kansas City Chiefs' offense is finally starting to look like a unit that can carry this team to yet another championship, and wide receiver Rashee Rice appears to be the biggest piece of this newly formed puzzle.
In a Monday Night Football victory against the Washington Commanders, Rice caught nine passes for 93 yards and a touchdown. Even against a suspect Washington secondary, Rice continued to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is the top dog in the passing game and a legitimate game-changer for this offense.
Rice looking this good after coming back from his six-game suspension validates all of the offseason hype the front office bestowed upon him. Those who may have scoffed at the GM Brett Veach calling Rice a Top 10 receiver in this league are on very shaky ground after his latest performance.
"I don’t want to say Rashee, because I think Rashee is a top-10 receiver," said Veach when asked about the NFL Draft selection of rookie Jalen Royals. Those who would have been quick to decry those comments as homerism will find themselves eating their words after Rice's breakout.
Chiefs were correct in declaring Rashee Rice a Top 10 wide receiver
If Rice keeps this pace up for a full 17 games, he will haul in 136 catches and over 1,100 yards. While that volume may be a touch unrealistic, he has clearly evolved into a player who can be the No. 1 option in the Kansas City passing game during his third season.
Rice's emergence means the Chiefs don't have to rely on the aging Travis Kelce, the up-and-down Hollywood Brown, or a role player with a very specific skillset in Xavier Worthy to be the primary option in this passing game. Rice's size, YAC ability, and soft hands make him perfect WR1 material.
Matt Nagy's offense has occasionally been criticized for being too reliant on quick passes when he has a Hall of Fame quarterback in Mahomes to work with. The team's performance since Rice came back suggests that he was the missing ingredient Nagy was eyeing for so long.
If Rice keeps putting up numbers like this, the rest of the league might wake up and realize just how lethal of a player he can be when his talent is fully realized. With Mahomes under center to make sure he gets his fair share of targets, Rice's best football is still very much in the windshield.