Kansas City Chiefs WR Rashee Rice's offseason legal situation hasn't prevented him from being on the practice field with his teammates for training camp at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, Missouri.
It's something that Rice described as "very important" to him as things off the football field continue to unfold concerning his multi-vehicle accident in Dallas, Texas on March 30 . He's thankful to get an opportunity to be out there and still be a part of the team as they look to achieve their goal of a three-peat during the 2024 NFL season.
It's not lost on Rice that things could have gone much differently to this point and to that end, he's working on ways to better himself both on and off the football field.
"Just continue to grow on the field and continue to surround myself around the people that are going to allow me to grow to become a better person on and off the field," Rice explained.
One of those people he's trying to better surround himself with is none other than Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes.
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes helping in Rice's personal, professional growth
Rice is determined to grow to become a better person both on and off the field. That process all starts with surrounding himself with people who want him to succeed and can help him reach those end goals.
No one wants to see Rice succeed more than his quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who has played a very important role according to Rice.
"He's been very important," Rice said of Mahomes. "He's there for me. You know, whenever I need him. On (and) off the field. You know he's only a call away, and he's always gonna pick up my call."
Mahomes believes we're getting a better version of Rice in 2024, both on and off the field . That passes the eye test at training camp when it comes to the on-field portion. Rice has been practically unstoppable in the quick passing game in 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 team drills. He could well build on a rookie campaign that saw him finish second behind Chiefs TE Travis Kelce with 79 receptions, 938 receiving yards, and seven touchdown receptions.
As Rice seeks to push his game to the next level on the football field in 2024, he's also playing a role in the development of a new teammate. He says the next step in his development on the football field is to uplift those players around him, such as rookie WR Xavier Worthy.
"Honestly, the next step for me. So bring the guys around me up. You know, we got X (Xavier Worthy) here. So whatever I learned last year, he needs to learn right now so that we can continue to grow together."
After an offseason filled with negativity and distractions, Rice has his focus squarely on football. He's aiming to be the best version of himself on and off the field for his teammates because that's what they need him to be if they're going to become Super Bowl LIX champions.
"Focusing on the main thing right now," Rice told reporters after practice. "The main thing for me is being able to be the best person I can be for my team, so we can all, you know, come together and dominate."
As far as a potential suspension is concerned, there has still been no answer on whether he'll be suspended by the NFL during the 2024 NFL season. He stuck to the company line when asked about whether or not he'd be on the field to start the year.
"Like I said, it's a legal process," Rice said. "And my legal team is handling off the field for me."
Related: Chiefs training camp observations: Drue Tranquill kicks the physicality up a notch with preseason approaching
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