Chiefs Rumors: QB battle, Ross clinches roster spot, Rashee Rice drops

Chiefs Rumors: Rashee Rice garners support from Mahomes, Reid

You know what other wideout received a ton of flak in the preseason for his drops? Bengals’ Ja’Marr Chase. Which is just to repeat the time-tested adage: NFL preseason only matters so much.

Chiefs second-rounder Rashee Rice has been criticized for his pair of drops in preseason so far, recently taking his eye off the ball in the second quarter of Week 2 against the Cardinals.

But Rice finished as the top receiver of the night with eight catches for 96 yards in the 38-10 victory, connecting with three different quarterbacks. Rice, an SMU product who recorded 112.9 receiving yards per game in his senior season, joins the Chiefs roster with managed expectations as part of a wholly young wideout unit.

The transition to the NFL comes with an inevitable learning curve, and Rice’s teammates and coach are behind him 100 percent.

Patrick Mahomes said of Rice:

"“He had the drop early, and then he responded well. I think that’s just the jitters of being in your first few NFL games. I have a lot of trust in him.”"

Andy Reid echoed:

"“He’s a good football player and really has had a nice camp for us.”"

Touted to make an immediate impact on special teams, Rice proved he could also handle a receiver’s workload when he showcased his speed and YAC ability in a few dazzling highlights against Arizona.

This preseason — like every other preseason — Chiefs fans should keep the overreactions to a minimum.