Rashee Rice's court case could determine fate of another Chiefs wide receiver

The Kansas City Chiefs have been chasing speed for year. Despite all of their success, Kansas City has tried — and failed — to find and develop the next Tyreek Hill.

The first attempt came when the team selected Mecole Hardman in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft. At the time, there were fears of a looming suspension for Hill. That selection was followed by the acquisitions of Skyy Moore, Rashee Rice, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and Kadarius Toney. None of them came close to Hill's skill or speed, and only Rice made a signficant impact.

Kansas City entered the 2023 season with the hope that Moore and Toney would emerge as the team's top wideouts, but neither took significant strides and Rice shouldered the load in a lackluster passing attack.

The Chiefs signed veteran wide receiver Marquise 'Hollywood' Brown and drafted wide receiver Xavier Worthy in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, significantly reshaping the team's wide receiver depth chart.

Skyy Moore faces an uphill battle to establish a role in Chiefs offense

Buried further down the depth chart, Moore could be facing an uphill battle to retain a role in the Chiefs offense in 2024. Moore could find his way onto the field if Rice is suspended for violated the NFL's personal conduct policy, but that ruling could be pushed back to next offseason.

Moore discussed his thought process for the 2024 season during training camp, according to Jesse Newell of the Kansas City Star. The wideout explained the significance of developing chemistry with quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

“I feel like we are on the same page,” Moore said. “We talk. We see it a lot in practice. He’ll be like, ‘Oh, I see what you were doing.’ I’ll be like, ‘All right, I know you like this.’ So following him in the offseason definitely helped me get to where I’m at with that.”

Moore was on the field more often in 2023, but his production didn't improve. He notched 21 catches for 244 yards in 2023 after posting 22 receptions for 250 yards in his rookie campaign.

“I’m just coming in every day the same person, just putting the work in,” Moore said. “I believe once you put the work in, the rest, it’s not up to me. So I just want to focus on what I can control and just keep getting better.”

The 5-10 wide receiver is an ideal fit for the slot in head coach Andy Reid's West Coast offense, and he has proven to be a good blocking wide receiver in the running game. That could get Moore on the field, especially if Worthy struggles to adjust to the professional level in his rookie season.