Kansas City Chiefs football is officially back. They held their first training camp practice on Tuesday morning, and of course, all eyes were on Patrick Mahomes. The superstar quarterback is understandably the center of attention anytime he steps on a gridiron, though his primary pass-catcher, Rashee Rice, reportedly stole the show.
Rice was the "biggest winner" of Kansas City's opening practice, according to ESPN's Nate Taylor. Mahomes was looking his way early and often; the burgeoning third-year pro was the "most-targeted" wide receiver, including a nifty goal line highlight.
The biggest winner of today’s practice is Rashee Rice, who was the most-targeted receiver for Patrick Mahomes. https://t.co/83BXbpoSGY
— Nate Taylor (@ByNateTaylor) July 22, 2025
As you can see, it looked quite effortless for Kansas City's dynamic duo tandem (h/t FOX 4's Harold R. Kuntz). They're ostensibly set to pick up right where they left off before Rice tore his LCL early last season. The only problem is, his off-field issues will likely delay them from doing so when it counts for the Chiefs.
Rashee Rice's looming punishment dampens strong training camp connection with Patrick Mahomes
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Rice will face a suspension for his involvement in a multi-vehicle car collision that occurred in Dallas, Texas, in March. He was recently sentenced to five years of probation and 30 days of jail time. The official ruling allows the NFL to accelerate the penal process. By all accounts, discussions have centered around how many games the Chiefs won't have him at their disposal, not if.
Rice is expected to miss multiple contests in 2025 due to his legal troubles after pleading guilty to two felonies. He violated the league's personal conduct policy, and the "baseline" for doing so is a six-game ban, which CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones has noted. In other words, Mahomes may be without the 2023 second-round pick until mid-to-late October.
What Chiefs Kingdom is seeing in the heart of summer might not materialize until midway through the fall of the upcoming campaign. It's a dispiriting realization, especially because health doesn't appear to be what's holding Rice back following a scary injury. He looks physically ready to build off his 2024 breakout that was derailed by a knee problem that's seemingly no longer an issue. Alas, patience must be a virtue in Kansas City for a franchise with perennial championship aspirations during the Mahomes era.
Seeing Rice dominate isn't new to Chiefs fans. He set the football world ablaze before getting hurt last year. His 24 receptions 288 receptions and 29 targets through Week 3 ranked first, second and third, respectively. The 25-year-old supplanted future Hall of Fame tight end Travis Kelce as Mahomes' go-to option on all downs and distances.