Rashee Rice’s target share confirms what Mahomes has known all along

Rashee Rice's return to the field after more than a year away was everything the Kansas City Chiefs hoped it would be. The offense was humming, and Patrick Mahomes' most trusted receiver looked healthy and ready to pick up where he left off when he was scorching opposing defenses to start the 2024 season.

While Rice's return was not in question, there were plenty of inquiries made by reporters of Chiefs head coach Andy Reid related to his potential workload. After all, Rice had missed a lot of time.

Not only did a knee injury cost him everything after Week 3 last season, Rice also missed the first six weeks of the 2025 season due to a suspension levied upon him by the league for his involvement in a reckless driving incident dating back to April 2024. The end result of this was a multi-vehicle crash that resulted in injuries. Rice was charged with several felonies and was sentenced to 30 days in jail to be served over a five-year period.

So as Rice returned for the first time since September 29, 2024, it was natural to question how much he would be able to take on. As it turns out, the answer is "quite a lot."

Rashee Rice reclaimed his share of targets even in a loaded Chiefs offense.

Rice anchored the Chiefs with 10 targets on Sunday in a devastating win over the Las Vegas Raiders. That's twice as much as any other player, which is quite shocking for an offense that also features a healthy Xavier Worthy, a dependable Hollywood Brown, and a svelte Travis Kelce—plus other assorted odds and (tight) ends.

Can this trend continue going forward? Targets are a mercurial stat in the National Football League for any top receiver, so the sheer number is less important than the emphasis. Rice had 10 targets on Sunday, while Worthy and Brown had four, and Kelce had three. Perhaps it's telling that Brashard Smith, a rookie running back, had five, which was second on the team. It was a lopsided day where snap counts were skewed.

But the Chiefs have been leaning heavily on Rice for quite some time. A second-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Rice needed 10 games to find his footing in Andy Reid's offense before being handed the lion's share of targets in what was a limited wide receiver room. Rice averaged over 9 targets per game after Week 12 of his rookie season and just under 10 targets through Week 3 last year.

Of course, the Chiefs offense is certainly more loaded than at any other point in Rice's short career, so his opportunities will ebb and flow. However, Chiefs Kingdom should expect the ball to end up in Rice's hands more often than not, and Week 7 was an indicator that he remains the go-to for Mahomes even with everyone else around.