Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice. Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Chiefs rookie ready to step up amid Travis Kelce injury concerns?

By Clark Dalton | Last updated 10/11/23

Since Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is questionable with an ankle injury, expect rookie wide receiver Rashee Rice to assume a more prominent role Thursday against the Denver Broncos.

"What is the deal with Travis Kelce? Will he play, won't he play? And the thing I care most about is what Rashee Rice does," former NFL WR Andrew Hawkins said in a video posted to ESPN.com on Wednesday. "This is a player who plays extremely fast. And over the course of the season, has developed an incredible chemistry with [quarterback] Patrick Mahomes."

Chiefs for 6️⃣! @RiceRashee11 gets his 2nd TD of the year.

: #KCvsMIN on CBS
: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/LxW25sxPWA pic.twitter.com/66X95j7dWT
— NFL (@NFL) October 8, 2023

The second-round pick out of SMU has played on only 123 offensive snaps in five games, yet he made an impression, catching 17 receptions on 24 targets for 173 yards and two TDs. Pro Football Focus gave him an 83.2 grade, 11th among all WRs.

Rashee Rice: 83.2 grade this season

1st among Chiefs rookies
4th among all Chiefs players
11th among all WRs

(minimum 100 snaps played) pic.twitter.com/WJeLD6lVhD
— PFF KC Chiefs (@PFF_Chiefs) October 11, 2023

Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy recently signaled he's ready to give the 23-year-old a heavier workload.

"What I think we're seeing right now with Rashee is someone who is slowly gaining confidence in himself," Nagy said in a Monday news conference. "He knows that we, as coaches, are slowly gaining more and more confidence in him. And there's immense growth ahead of him, and I think that's the exciting part we all see."

Mahomes, a two-time league MVP, has thrived in Kansas City thanks to exceptional pass-catchers like Kelce. However, since injuries are bothering the 33-year-old tight end, the Chiefs need a bona fide second option, which they've yet to establish. This season, Kelce has accounted for over 20 percent of the team's targets (182).

Yet if Rice continues on his upward trajectory, he will become the player the Chiefs need and could eventually develop into a star.

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