Travis Kelce Puts NFL on Notice Amid Chiefs Development

Mahomes, in particular, has been the centerpiece of Kansas City’s offense. The two-time AP MVP has registered 138-of-213 completed passes in his first six games of the season for 1,514 yards and 11 touchdowns. Kelce has been heating up of late, too, logging 139 receiving yards and one touchdown in his last two outings.

At the same time, however, there’s no denying that Mahomes would benefit significantly from having more weapons at his disposal. The good news for Mahomes and Co. is that help is on the way. This comes in the form of wide receiver Rashee Rice returning to the lineup for the Chiefs.

Rice, Kansas City’s second-round pick from the 2023 NFL Draft, has not played this season. The league suspended the former SMU Mustangs star for six games after being involved in a multi-vehicle car crash in Dallas in March 2024. He was sentenced to 30 days in jail and five years probation after pleading guilty to two third-degree felony charges.

On Monday, the league officially lifted Rice’s suspension, which means that he will be available to play on Sunday as the Chiefs host the Las Vegas Raiders in a Week 7 matchup at Arrowhead Stadium.

Kelce spoke highly of his teammate during his postgame interview on Sunday. The 10-time Pro Bowler put the NFL on notice amid Rice’s imminent return.

"I'm just excited to get my guy Rashee back in the building," Kelce told Scott Van Pelt on ESPN’s “SportsCenter” following the Lions win. "What he means as a player, as a person and to this community, we miss having him out here on the field for the first couple of games this year. I'm excited to get him back out there.

"If we're putting up 30-balls without him out there, it's going to get rocking and rolling when he gets back out."

As Kelce pointed out, Rice’s return is only going to make the Chiefs’ attack even more dangerous. Monday’s win against the red-hot Lions could be a turning point for Kansas City amid its up-and-down start to the season, and Rice’s return to the lineup comes at an ideal time.

It is worth noting, however, that Rice is also recovering from a major injury. After a breakout rookie campaign that saw him finish sixth in the Offensive Rookie of the Year race, Rice suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 4 of his sophomore season. The Chiefs WR underwent surgery in October 2024 and has yet to play in an NFL game since.