The Chiefs are going in the same rabbit hole this year. Last year, they didn’t have enough good receivers who could catch Patrick Mahomes‘ passes. The coaches tried to make it work. The Grim Reaper’s brilliance took them through to the Super Bowl LIX. Even Tom Brady praised and bet on the outstanding player in one-score games. But now, things have changed. After a brutal loss in New Orleans, he wants to get on the field with firepower that not only decimates the rivals but buries them deep.

This year, they were counting on Rashee Rice. But after he pleaded guilty to the Dallas crash, an NFL suspension is looming. And so the Chiefs find themselves asking the same question again: Who can Patrick count on? Because if Rice is sidelined and Travis Kelce is (let’s be honest) playing on borrowed time, Mahomes needs a new guy. A real one. A playmaker he can lock eyes with on 3rd and 7 and trust without hesitation. Turns out, that guy might just be Marquise Hollywood Brown.

Funny how this works. Last year, Brown was barely a blip, lurking in the background, buried in the playbook, getting in reps mostly when the games were out of reach. This year? The wideout Mahomes’ early favorite. “He’s going to be someone who makes plays for us,” Mahomes said, with something resembling real excitement. “He was in the meeting rooms last year. I’m excited for him.”

He’s trying not to say it outright. But the situation is pretty clear. HC Andy Reid might have made plans for Travis Kelce to take center stage, but Patrick Mahomes needs a long-time partner now. Kelce isn’t fading, not yet, but the signs are starting to creep in. He’s still Mahomes’ safety valve, still a matchup nightmare on the right day, but the days of 1,300 yards and 100 catches might be behind him.

The TE turns 36 this season. And while his football IQ can mask the decline for a while, even legends eventually run out of cushion. And it’s why finding the next guy, someone who can carry the passing game’s weight, isn’t just a luxury anymore. It’s a necessity.

Patrick Mahomes still has hope in Rashee Rice

The Rashee Rice situation has thrown a wrench into Kansas City’s plans. A looming suspension, public scrutiny, a possible rift in trust, whatever it is, Mahomes isn’t thrilled. You could hear it in the tone, in the careful wording. Patrick Mahomes said, “He had a good first day today. He’ll continue to evolve his game.” That’s not nothing. But it’s not exactly a ringing endorsement either.

Rice announced himself in a big way as a rookie in 2023. He hauled in 938 yards and seven TDs in the regular season, then locked in the NFL record for postseason receptions by a rookie during Kansas City’s Super Bowl run. But last year’s promise came to a screeching halt. In Week 4 of the 2024 campaign, a collision with Patrick Mahomes tore Rice’s LCL and hamstring, forcing him to miss the remainder of the season, even as the Chiefs limped on to a Super Bowl LIX appearance. But the accident case has brought a new set of problems.

After his admission, he accepted a plea deal, paid approximately $ 115,000 in medical restitution, and received five years of probation, plus 30 days in jail, which he can serve at any time over the next five years. Now with the NFL poised to hit him with a multi-game suspension (estimated around 5–7 games under the personal conduct policy), he’s permitted to participate in camp, but the uncertainty carries on into the regular season.

Patrick Mahomes’ stance echoes that of HC Andy Reid. Despite a looming NFL suspension, the coach made it clear that the wide receiver will continue practicing until any official confirmation is received. “That’s obvious news out there now,” Reid said, referring to Rice’s sentencing after the Dallas crash. And then, without pause, “We’re going to progress as normal with him.”

The Chiefs know a blow is coming. But the Grim Reaper wants to stay prepared.