Chiefs: Meet the 4 players jockeying to get into Patrick Mahomes’ inner circle

Who wouldn’t want to catch passes from the reigning NFL and Super Bowl MVP? The Chiefs have some intriguing wide receiver prospects.

He comes off one of the greatest seasons by a quarterback in league annals. The Kansas City Chiefs rallied to beat the Philadelphia Eagles, 38-35, in Super Bowl LVII.

Patrick Mahomes capped off a magnificent 2022 by hitting on 21-of-27 passes for 182 yards and three scores on the way to capturing game MVP honors. That followed a regular season in which Mahomes led the NFL in passing yards (5,250) and touchdown tosses (41).

Wide receivers Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Kadarius Toney, Justin Watson, and Skyy Moore were all part of the win over the Eagles, with Toney Moore catching TD passes in the victory. the Chiefs’ top wide receiver in terms of catches this past season was Juju Smith-Schuster (78), now a member of the New England Patriots.

Mahomes loves to spread the ball around. Including the postseason, 12 different players caught TD passes from the league MVP in 2022. So, could any of the following four wideouts make an impact for Andy Reid’s club this upcoming season?

Chiefs: Meet the WRs vying for Patrick Mahomes targets in 2023

Rashee Rice

General manager Brett Veach used the 55th overall selection in April on the former SMU standout. Wide receiver Rashee Rice finished his career with the Mustangs, totaling 233 catches for 3,111 yards and 25 scores. His final season at SMU saw him roll up 96 receptions, good for 1,355 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Richie James

A seventh-round draft choice of the 49ers in 2018, Richie James totaled just 38 receptions for 689 yards and three touchdowns in his first three seasons in San Francisco. He spent 2021 on injured reserve, then inked a deal with the Giants in ’22. James tied for the team with 57 receptions (569 yards), four for scores.

Justyn Ross

He joined the Chiefs a year ago as an undrafted free agent but spent all of 2022 on injured reserve (foot). Justyn Ross played three seasons at Clemson University but sat out 2020 (neck). In three campaigns with the Tigers, he amassed 158 receptions, good for 2,379 yards (a solid 15.1 yards per catch), and 20 scores.

John Ross

He was the ninth overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. John Ross played in 15 games during his rookie season and didn’t catch a pass. In five NFL campaigns, the last with the Giants in 2021, the former University of Washington speedster caught just 62 passes for 957 yards and 11 TDs.