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NFL -- 06/20 03:00 -- by Nate Taylor
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Kansas City Chiefs are hoping to have all their projected starters on offense when training camp opens in six weeks. Of course, much of that is centered on quarterback Patrick Mahomes fully recovering from a torn ACL and LCL suffered in December. And if he does, coach Andy Reid hopes Mahomes will be in the huddle next to his top three receivers: Rashee Rice , Xavier Worthy and Tyquan Thornton .
One of the top storylines for the season is the Chiefs' gamble that the trio of receivers -- or a combination of two of them -- can have a breakout campaign. Neither of the three have recorded a 1,000-yard season. Despite that, instead of making a significant acquisition this offseason to bolster the position, the Chiefs have placed much of their faith in the trio all improving with the help of returning offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy and new receivers coach Chad O'Shea. Reid expects them to be available to participate when training camp begins in July. That optimism was buoyed after Tuesday, when Rice was released from a Dallas County jail after serving a 30-day sentence for violating the terms of his probation for his role in a crash that left multiple people injured on a Dallas highway two years ago. One week before being sentenced, Rice underwent surgery on his right knee to remove loose debris that was causing inflammation. While in jail, Rice was allowed to visit Parkland Hospital as part of his rehab, helping him avoid any infections or other complications from the surgery. "Thank goodness that they're allowing him to do it," Reid said last week of Rice. "They've been great with that. We'll see where it goes from there. He'll be back up here and working." Now released, Rice is expected to continue his rehab and receive treatment from the Chiefs' training staff for most of the next six weeks. "I talk to him every day, just checking on him as a teammate," Worthy said last week of Rice.
If healthy, Rice, 26, has said he wants to establish himself as Mahomes' top receiver and surpass his rookie season. That year he caught 79 passes for 938 yards and a team-high seven touchdowns. Since then, Rice has missed 22 games because of injuries (right knee and concussion) and a six-game suspension, stemming from the Dallas crash. Last season, Rice, who is entering the final year of his rookie deal, struggled with drops and creating separation against man-to-man coverage. Despite that, he was the Chiefs' best receiver, according to ESPN's overall receiver score -- which measures getting open, contesting and making the catch, and generating yards after the catch. However, he ranked 77th among the league's receivers and tight ends. This offseason some analysts wanted the Chiefs to draft a receiver with their top pick. "The biggest issue -- why I don't believe, right now, that they are Super Bowl contenders -- is there's a lot of question marks in that receiver room," ESPN analyst Steve Smith Sr., a former NFL receiver, said on ESPN's "Get Up" in late May. "You've got Rashee Rice. Is he a guy who can get out of his own way? The speed merchant of Xavier Worthy, he's excellent. But his speed has not equaled up to 1,000 yards. Offensively, what is their identity?" Last week, Worthy said he understands why some analysts are not confident in the Chiefs' receivers. "I mean, it is what it is. People always have their opinions," Worthy said. "We just need to go out there and do what we need to do. As a unit, we didn't do that last year, so I can see why people would say that. Obviously, we need to step it up." The trio's plan, Worthy said, is to prove any doubters wrong. Worthy made positive steps this offseason. In Rice's absence, he produced the best plays during the Chiefs' voluntary and mandatory minicamp practices. Not only was Worthy the fastest player on the field, but he showed improvements in his route running and ability to catch the ball in traffic during 7-on-7 periods. "Xavier really had a nice camp," Reid said. "He looks stronger -- and that's a part that you like. I mean, you really see it. We put him in a lot of the primary positions, and I thought he did a nice job with all of it."
Last season, Worthy said he was unable to display his full potential. A collision with tight end Travis Kelce on the third play of the season led to Worthy missing the next two games. Once he returned, he played with a torn right labrum which required surgery in January to repair. Reid later acknowledged that because of the injury, the Chiefs couldn't have Worthy run certain routes. He finished last year with 42 receptions on 73 targets for 532 yards and one touchdown, ranking 153rd in receiver score. "I feel like that ... might have been the best thing for me, learning how to be a pro and learning how to approach, obviously, the mental aspect, just getting your body prepared for certain things," Worthy said. "I feel like I kind of hit that hard this offseason. I know what kind of player I can be and what things I can do on the field and what I can bring to the team. That's going to show for itself. "I have goals, just being better in meetings every day, going out to practice early and getting early catches in, stuff that's going to build me into getting 1,000 yards. Not wanting it, earning it." Thornton ranked 123rd in receiver score last season in part because he played 38% of the Chiefs' snaps. That could change this season as he wants to demonstrate he can be a complete receiver -- and not only a deep threat.
During practice, the pair of Bieniemy and O'Shea have been vocal in their instructions of Worthy and Thornton. "He has brought in a lot of concepts and a lot of things that I've really liked that we've added in now," Mahomes said of Bieniemy, who was the Chiefs' OC from 2018 to 2022. "It's good to have him back in the building and having that energy back. A lot of these guys haven't had an EB. They understand it. Honestly, I think it's been cool. "They've been really receptive [to] it. Even though it's hard, there's hard days. They know why we're doing it. You can see the guys, and they want to be great, and they want to be better than we were last year." In the practices open to reporters, O'Shea has shouted plenty of times and provided plenty of positive feedback. The player who received most of O'Shea's comments was Worthy. "His energy is unmatched," Worthy said of O'Shea, who replaced Connor Embree in the role. "That's something that young guys kind of need, just somebody to push them and be with them in the fire." Even before training camp, Worthy said he can already tell he has a stronger connection with Mahomes. One of Worthy's best reps last month was when he made a contested catch in the corner of the end zone while being covered by rookie cornerback Mansoor Delane , the Chiefs' top draft pick. "The fade ball that we threw, just getting that done early, knowing what Patrick likes to throw," Worthy said. "I know where he wants to make the throws, where he wants you to be in the zone and how he wants you to run certain routes. I'm showing him that I'm available and a reliable target."
Read on the web: https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/49107856/chiefs-wr-rashee-rice-xavier-worthy-tyquan-thornton-offseason-draft-otas
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