Rookie wide receiver Rashee Rice finally had his breakout outing with the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 12, but quarterback Patrick Mahomes II believes there’s still a lot left for the first-year prospect to achieve.
“The goal for him now is to keep working, keep getting better, [and] don’t be satisfied with where he’s at,” Mahomes told reporters about Rice during his Week 13 press conference on November 29.
He added that hopefully, Rice will have even bigger games as his NFL career progresses.
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes Breaks Down How Rashee Rice Is Becoming More ‘Patrick-Friendly’
This challenge from the reigning NFL MVP came after a member of the KC media asked Mahomes what “becoming Patrick-friendly” means to him — a phrase head coach Andy Reid used to describe Rice’s progress in recent weeks.
“I think just how you work,” the Chiefs QB responded. “I think that’s the biggest thing.”
“If guys continue to work and continue to practice, and I get a feel for how they run routes and a feel for how they’re seeing stuff on the football field, it just makes my job easier,” he explained, noting that Rice has “done a great job of that” as a rookie.
Mahomes also made it clear that doesn’t happen with first-year wide receivers very often.
“He’s getting a lot better,” Mahomes reiterated later. “[Rice] doesn’t make the same mistakes [twice], I think that’s the biggest thing. There’s little things here and there where we might not be on the same page but once we talk about it on the sideline, he doesn’t make that mistake again. That’s why you see he’s gotten better and better throughout the season.”
The Week 12 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders marked the first 100-plus-yard receiving game of Rice’s young career. Before that, his previous high was four catches for 72 yards against the Denver Broncos in Week 6 — so he appears to like division games.
Mahomes and Rice have that in common, considering the quarterback’s dominant record over the AFC West since entering the league.
Patrick Mahomes Says That the Work Never Ends When You’re Pursuing Super Bowls
Mahomes’ challenge to Rice probably comes as no surprise. The Chiefs signal-caller not only practices what he preaches, but he’s lived by those words for most of his career — if not all of it.
“For me, it’s all the time,” Mahomes replied candidly after a reporter asked him when the team realizes they have to kick things up a notch for a playoff run.
“Offseason, in-season, whatever it is,” the superstar went on. “Knowing that you take the day — you want to maximize the day and get better and better — but at the end of the day, you’re working for that ultimate goal which is the Super Bowl.”
“And so, you have to take it week in and week out,” Mahomes concluded, “but your mentality should be — I’m going to do this today to be better for the next day and for the next day until the Super Bowl comes.”
This mindset, more than anything else, is the mark of true greatness. We’ve seen shades of it in other top athletes like Tom Brady, Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky and more.
And the great thing about Mahomes is, not only does he have this trait, but he attempts to bring it out of his teammates. Challenging Travis Kelce. Challenging Rice.
That’s what it takes to be a tremendous leader. That’s what it takes to be a champion.
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Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes Issues Challenge to Rashee Rice Ahead of Week 13