Through six games, Taylor Swift’s hubby has just 28 receptions for 321 yards and two scores. For most tight ends, that’s actually a pretty good start to a campaign. But for seven-time All-Pro Travis Kelce, it’s actually his worst start to a season in the Patrick Mahomes era, apart from last year. And surprisingly, the addition of another receiver into the mix this week, Rashee Rice, could serve as a springboard for Kelce to start boosting his numbers.
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Rice is likely to slot back into his role as the Kansas City Chiefs’ WR1 after serving a six-game suspension. The 2023 second-round pick has been the best wideout in the building since he got there. He led all K.C. wideouts in every major receiving category as a rookie, and he was well on his way to doing it again last year before friendly fire cost him his hamstring and his season.
His reckless driving (which was the cause of him getting charged and receiving that suspension) meant that he would once again miss a chunk of the season. But he’s back now, and FS1’s Nick Wright believes that his return will open up the field massively for Kelce, who has started a little bit slow in his age-36 season.
“From Thanksgiving of his rookie year through when he got hurt, he played nine games, not including the playoffs. In those nine games, he was seven catches for 90 yards a game. And in the playoffs, he added another 260 yards. He’s excellent. And he’s going to play the Juju [Smith-Schuster] intermediate role. So, Travis will have more open spaces. Rashee will have more open spaces. [Tyquan] Thornton and Xavier [Worthy] are taking the tops off the defense.”
Though Wright is known as a Chiefs truther, he makes some good points here. Juju Smith-Schuster had a couple of great years in Pittsburgh opposite Antonio Brown, but Rice is a very clear upgrade there. His return will no doubt help out Mahomes and head coach/play-caller Andy Reid as well. However, it’s worth taking a moment to consider how the Chiefs have been framing Rice’s return to action.
For those unaware, the suspension was for causing a “chain reaction collision” with his Lamborghini while driving at reckless speeds. The multi-car accident sent two people to the hospital after Rice and his buddies fled the scene on foot. The fact that he was suspended for essentially almost killing multiple people and then running off means that the weird “Free Rashee Rice” vibes going around the Chiefs organization are in extremely poor taste.
This is not a guy who was wrongly accused of something, or someone like Josh Gordon or Martavis Bryant who lost the prime of their career for nothing but smoking a joint. Rice’s actions certainly deserved discipline from the league, and we would argue he actually got off pretty light considering what he did.
In any event, whether you believe, as we do, that Chiefs players are coming off as real you-know-whats with the whole “woe is me” routine for Rice, the wideout’s return to the lineup will give K.C. a massive boost. And, as Wright pointed out, Rice’s return also means that Taylor’s fiancée is likelier to start having an easier time piling up stats.
