Three games into the 2024 NFL season, Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice appeared destined for a breakout campaign that would launch him into the upper echelon of WR1 discussions.
He received 29 targets through those contests, hauling in 24 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns. The Chiefs offense 22 or more points in each game, all wins. Then, Rice tore his LCL early on in a Week 4 matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers while trying to make a tackle. He was immediately ruled out for the game and, shortly after, for the season.
Now, deep into his recovery and rehab from the devastating knee injury, Rice appears more confident than ever that he’ll take the next step forward once he’s back on the field.
Rashee Rice Claims He “Wants To Be the Best” WR in the NFL
Rice made headlines for his appearance on “I Am Athlete” earlier this offseason, as he discussed everything from the top prospects in the upcoming NFL Draft to what he believed the Chiefs would try to do to reinforce their roster after a crushing Super Bowl loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Now, with an extended version of that interview out on Revolt Sports, Rice’s predictions for himself for the 2025 season have been made public. It’s safe to say the 24-year-old wideout isn’t lacking in confidence ahead of the third season in the league.
“I’m not here to just be in the league… I want to be the best,” Rice said, as shared by “I Am Athlete” on their social media pages.
According to PFSN’s Offense+ metric, the Chiefs’ offense was ranked 11th in the league last year. The team averaged 22.6 points per game throughout the season, down from the 25.0 they scored in the three games when Rice was healthy.
If Kansas City is going to get back to its explosive ways, they’ll need Rice to be healthy and functioning like a true No. 1 wideout. They still have Xavier Worthy, Marquise “Hollywood’ Brown, and Travis Kelce from last year’s team, but the latter is declining with age, and the two receivers have yet to prove elite chemistry with quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Of course, the Chiefs also lost DeAndre Hopkins to the Baltimore Ravens in free agency, further stressing the franchise’s limited receiving talent.
The team has the No. 31 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, which they’ll likely use on some sort of key offensive piece. In PFSN’s latest mock draft, Kansas City is projected to select offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. out of Oregon in the first round. Notably, Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan is projected to go to the Buffalo Bills one pick before they’re on the clock.
Regardless of how the Chiefs add to their skill position depth, getting Rice back healthy and better than ever will be key to the offense rediscovering its once-elite heights.