Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes spoke to reporters virtually on Wednesday, sharing his optimism for the offense with a healthy Rashee Rice.
“Everything looks great right now, getting the guys back and healthy; I think the offense has a chance to be really, really good,” said Mahomes. “The core group will be back in its entirety, so the goal is to build on it, get even better, and get back to some of the explosive passing plays we’ve done in years past.”
Mahomes had a down season compared to the high standards he set since becoming the Chiefs’ starter in 2018. He finished the year with 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions but was without his top receiver, Rice, due to injury for most of the season.
“The expectations are high; he (Rashee Rice) looks really good. He is running routes; he’s catching the football. I don’t know when we get back into the actual OTAs, how much he’ll be able to do, but he’s been able to do everything here as far as running routes and everything like that,” said Mahomes. “I know it was unfortunate how he got hurt last year, but it was so early in the season that he’s going to get pretty much a complete offseason, which I think will be big going into this season.”
The Chiefs expect a healthy Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown alongside Rice and a second-year Xavier Worthy to propel the wide receiver group. Kansas City has shifted its focus to defense in recent years, placing less emphasis on explosive plays at the start of Mahomes’ career.