Patrick Mahomes, Rashee Rice Pairing Thriving for KC Chiefs Entering Super Bowl LVIII

The Kansas City Chiefs have plenty of reasons to be excited about Super Bowl LVIII, even on offense after a season littered with inconsistency and frustrating moments.

Throughout the campaign, quarterback Patrick Mahomes waited patiently for a wide receiver to step up. Some players dealt with drops, some with injuries and others simply weren't great fits in the system. The one who rose to the top ended up being rookie Rashee Rice, who now has nearly 20 games under his belt since debuting back in September.

Speaking to the media this week, Mahomes said he noticed Rice's talent right off the bat. He also indicated that the first-year man could become a top-shelf wideout one day.

"A ton of talent, I saw that from day one," Mahomes said. "But with rookies, especially in Coach Reid's offense, it takes time. It takes time to learn the different ways we run routes and the way you have to read coverage at the same time. He's just continued to get better and better. That's why I think you saw his production really get an uptick as the year went on, and I still think he has a long way to go. He can continue to get better and better, and he can be one of the top receivers in this league."

Rice certainly stood out to Mahomes early in the season, and not just then. Rice attended a pre-draft throwing session with his eventual quarterback, which contributed to the team's selection of him in late April. During the offseason program and into the preseason, he slowly but surely caught on and managed to accept more and more responsibility. In the first six weeks of the regular season, though, he was more of a supporting piece than a fixture in the offense. In those games, he averaged just under five targets and 41 receiving yards per game with two total touchdowns.

From that point on, Rice became quite easily the Chiefs' most productive wide receiver. Seeing his snap counts trend upward, he had 58 receptions for 693 yards and five touchdowns in his final 10 regular-season games. For those doing the math at home, that output extrapolates to roughly 100 catches and almost 1,200 yards with eight scores in a full season. A large chunk of Rice's statistical improvement came from an increased understanding displayed in practice and more trust from the coaching staff. Another portion, however, was simply due to the second-round pick growing closer with Mahomes.

"We're close, that's my boy," Rice said to Aaron Ladd of KSHB 41. "We've just been getting tighter and tighter, and we're going to continue to get tighter during the offseason [and] throughout his career. That's my dog, bro. I call him the best quarterback every day in front of anybody's face. I don't care."

Rice's involvement on offense continued into the playoffs. In a Wild Card Weekend win over the Miami Dolphins, Mahomes targeted him a team-leading 12 times. Rice answered the call to the tune of eight receptions for 130 yards and his first career postseason touchdown. Although his numbers aren't nearly as high since then, he's coming off an AFC Championship Game performance in which he played 89% of available snaps.

It's pretty clear that outside of Rice and tight end Travis Kelce, more is likely needed on offense heading into next season. In order to reclaim a top ranking in the league, some external investment at receiver is necessary. With that said, the emergence of Rice gives the Chiefs at least one piece to build around at the position. He has good size, good athleticism, elite yards-after-catch ability and a budding relationship with the best player in the league. Those traits and developments offer nothing but upside for Rice's entire rookie contract, and that's great news for the Chiefs.

Mahomes and Kelce will always be a duo that soars above any other in football, but don't think Mahomes-Rice isn't impressive in its own right.

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