How Chiefs Plan to Fill Role of Rice During His Suspension

“Obviously, JuJu has been here for a while,” said general manager Brett Veach on Thursday, “and just to his credit, he looked better this camp than he did the last camp. He was here really taking care of his body. So, that's a good thing, because we're getting JuJu fresh and at the beginning of the season.”

Brutal 1st 6 games

That beginning of the season, at least based on 2024 records and playoff appearances, presents the toughest six-game opening stretch in the NFL.

Kansas City opens with 22 hours of round-trip flights to and from Brazil (against the Chargers on Sept. 5), then gets a Super Bowl rematch with reigning champion Philadelphia, followed by a road game against the Giants, a showdown with Lamar Jackson and the Ravens in Week 4, a Monday night game at Jacksonville and a short-week home contest against the Lions, who finished 15-2 a year ago.

Smith-Schuster is in great shape

Smith-Schuster, 28, isn’t old. He’s 13 months younger than Patrick Mahomes. Both were drafted in 2017. He also has familiarity with Andy Reid’s offense and chemistry with the quarterback, most recently on display in that final preseason game against the Bears.  

A year ago, the ninth-year veteran might not have made that catch against Chicago. But six months after the Super Bowl loss, Smith-Schuster looks back on his offseason as mission accomplished.

“First of all, I moved to San Diego,” Smith-Schuster said last week. “Honestly, what I did was, I got the right crew around me, the right guys. … We pretty much did two-a-days, and trained every single day. And I think a lot of times, I would put my family first when it comes to the offseason, but this time I kind of … put myself first and really focused on that.

“This offense, you got to run fast, so got to keep going.”

And when rookie Jalen Royals returns from knee tendinitis, he’ll help to fill the role, too. Both Royals and Smith-Schuster are similar to Rice is size and skillset, although Veach said no one can fully replace Rice.

No replacing Rice

“I think Rashee is a top 10 receiver,” Veach added. “I think he's a legit dude, a star in this league. And I think that replacing him is going to be awfully hard to do, and I don't think we have anybody like Rashee. … There's very few guys that can punish tacklers like Rashee can at that position.”

The major difference this year, though, is the return of the deep ball. After Tyquan Thornton caught a 58-yard bomb from Patrick Mahomes against Chicago, Xavier Worthy said he wasn’t surprised. In fact, Worthy said any of the Chiefs’ receivers are now a threat deep.

“Man, I feel like anybody could do that in our room right now,” Worthy said Tuesday. “I mean, Rashee could go do that. So, it shows the camaraderie and what we got going on the room. Everybody could go make a play at any moment. So, they have to respect everybody on the field.

“That's what we worked on. And that kind of didn't surprise me, what happened in the game. Tyquan’s been catching those all camp, and he's really been showing up. So, this just shows the work being put in.”

The Chiefs are expected to reinstate Rice on Monday, Oct. 14, the day after they play the Lions.