Three important questions for KC Chiefs at this stage of preseason

The Kansas City Chiefs returned to Glendale, Arizona — the site of their Super Bowl LVII victory —on Saturday night.

The defending world champions bested the Arizona Cardinals 38-10 in their second preseason game and three important questions have emerged as the league's roster cutdown date approaches.

1. Is Rashee Rice going to be an atypical rookie receiver in an Andy Reid offense?

No writer has encouraged Chiefs Kingdom to temper expectations for rookie wide receivers in Kansas City more than myself. The history is clear and there are precious few examples of receivers making a Year One impact in an Andy Reid offense. You can track that trend all the way back to his coaching days in Philadelphia. During his tenure in K.C., I'd argue that only Tyreek Hill and Mecole Hardman have made significant contributions in their debut NFL season.

Two weeks into the NFL preseason, there may be reasons to think second-round pick Rashee Rice could be the exception to the rule. On Saturday night, Rice was targeted 9 times. He caught 8 of those balls and posted 96 receiving yards in the game.

During the month of August, you should take everything that happens on the gridiron with a grain of salt. Preseason production often proves anomalous. What I'm heartened by is the way Rice played the game on Saturday.

On the second offensive play of the game, Ross raced upfield on a slant play that should've been caught for a first down. Patrick Mahomes perfectly threaded the ball between defenders, but Rice, ostensibly anticipating contact, could not secure the ball. From that point on, the rookie out of Southern Methodist locked in and would lead all receivers on the night.

Rice's ability to separate, win contested-catch situations, and rack up yards after the catch make him an intriguing prospect to be the receiver that seamlessly integrates into Reid's offense. His big, physical playing style and versatility could lead him to offensive snaps that weren't available to Skyy Moore last season. In 2022, Moore played just 29% of the offensive snaps. Rice appears to have the bandwidth and level of athleticism that could get him on the field early and often. If 126 yards over two preseason games is any indication, he plays a bigger role than even I expect him to in 2023.

Pump the brakes, though. I still do not expect him to contend for Offensive Rookie of the Year.