Wide receiver Rashee Rice’s return to the Kansas City Chiefs has the predictions flying high. There’s both excitement and doubt surrounding his comeback and the impact he could make down the stretch. As head coach Andy Reid maps out his return, a former NFL player, Tyrann Mathieu, isn’t hesitating on a healthy gamble.

“I don’t bet on football, but,” the former Safety wrote on X, “I bet Rashee Rice goes OFF this weekend.” There’s a bit of hope surrounding Chiefs wideout as he works his way back from offseason knee surgery. Reports suggest it was a surgical repair, not a full reconstruction, a major difference that could help him recover faster and stay effective once he’s back.

Though no footage has surfaced of Rashee Rice running yet, Dr. Chao mentioned that this type of procedure usually means a shorter rehab. Still, nothing can be confirmed because he is yet to go through a ramp-up phase this week at practice. However, Mathieu is not shying away from giving his bold prediction. But isn’t it strange that he was one of the folks who once praised Rice?

“I think a lot of people forget about Rashee Rice,” Mathieu said on First Things First. “I think he’s going to be one of the 10 best wide receivers in our league for the next 10 years. He’s really special. If they’re able to get him back….I think they’ll be just fine going forward.” Additionally, when the Chiefs struggled in Week 1, former NFLer simply commented on X, “RASHEE RICE IS MISSED.”

But now that he is coming back for Week 7, Mathieu isn’t sure of his health and performance. On the other hand, the Chiefs’ quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, didn’t bet anything. But he voiced his excitement about the potential of having the WR back in the field. “I’m very excited,” he said. “I’ll just leave it there.”

Rashee Rice was averaging 96.0 yards in the first three games last season before he suffered a knee injury. Coming back after a lengthy recovery, he faced a six-game suspension that came at a time when his presence could have been a major boost for the team. But now, the Chiefs see hope, and excitement is palpable.

Wide receiver Xavier Worthy also had a subtle yet strong message to express his excitement on social media. “1+4=5 ,” Worthy wrote on X along with a Ninja emoji. And with the numbers, he may have meant the jersey numbers. #1 Worthy, #4 Rice, and #5 Hollywood are set to show up in the field, which will be the first time this season that the Chiefs’ best WRs gear up on the field together.

Worthy, who suffered a shoulder injury in week 1 and missed two games, will be the deep threat. Then Brown will likely be the intermediate, and Rice will be the possession receiver. The vision is impeccable, and it will remain on the trio to translate it into the field.

Meanwhile, the Chiefs’ offense, which struggled early in the field, has shown renewed energy in recent weeks, putting up 28 or more points in each of their last three games, including a 30-17 win over the Detroit Lions.

Now, with their explosive trio ready to show up, the Chiefs have every reason to make a statement against the Las Vegas Raiders. As of now, the focus is on Rice’s return.

Andy Reid opens up about Rashee Rice’s return

The Chiefs had the one-week roster exemption to let Rice rest for one more game before Week 7, as Chiefs Digest beat reporter Matt Derrick reported. However, Coach Reid decided against it. As for the player’s return, the coach said he is still evaluating the situation. “I know he’s been working like crazy,” Reid shared.

“I’m not going to tell you (how much he’ll play). I’ve got to see it to kind of work through it (at practice), but I know he’s in good shape. That’s the one thing I do know, and I think that’ll be important — him coming back in there and getting with Patrick, and kind of getting on the same page, as you know, in that whole deal. But we’ll just see how all that works out.”

Rice entered this season after recovering from a season-ending knee injury and a groin injury. He spent the offseason working to get back into shape during OTAs, training camp, and the preseason. In total, he played just 20 offensive snaps with Mahomes and the rest of the starters during Week 3 of the 2025 preseason.

Given that, it’s understandable why coach Reid is being cautious. Still, it’s going to be an exciting week ahead.