Kansas City Chiefs WR Rashee Rice appears to be back at work with his teammates as Phase I of the offseason program has officially begun.
Rice, of course, has dealt with a tumultuous offseason after being arrested for his involvement in a multi-vehicle crash in the Dallas, Texas area. He currently faces serious criminal charges, lawsuits, and potential discipline from the NFL for violating the league's personal conduct policy. Chiefs HC Andy Reid confirmed Monday that Rice would participate in the team's virtual portion of Phase I of the offseason program, but he wouldn't commit to anything further.
On Wednesday, Rice shared some black-and-white video footage of him running routes on his Instagram Story. He's pictured at the Colleyville Heritage High School indoor multipurpose practice facility where Patrick Mahomes and his Chiefs teammates have been working in Texas this offseason.
Mahomes anticipated that Rice would rejoin his teammates for offseason workouts when he spoke to media members earlier this week.
“Yeah, I’ve worked with Rashee (Rice) throughout the offseason just in general," Mahomes told reporters on Monday. "So, I’m sure we’ll continue that work as the legal process plays out.”
These workouts and throwing sessions aren't much different from being at the team facility outside of the location. Mahomes believes they're useful because of the one-on-one connection he develops with his receivers.
"To be able to explain my thought process one-on-one, I think it gives guys a good intro into what the coaches are thinking and the coaches can really detail the details," Mahomes said.
Some hurdles remain for the second-year wideout, but for now, it seems Rice is focusing on football while allowing his representation to sort the legal process out.
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