Travis Kelce Praises Chiefs' Rashee Rice After Playoff Debut: 'He's Come a Long Way'

After setting a franchise rookie playoff record with 130 receiving yards in the Kansas City Chiefs' 26-7 win over the Miami Dolphins, Rashee Rice's growth has caught the attention of Travis Kelce.

Speaking to reporters ahead of Sunday's postseason game against the Buffalo Bills, Kelce said Rice has "come a long way" over the course of this season.

"It's been awesome to see him accept the challenges every single week," the star tight end explained. "Week 10 through 15 as a rookie you can kind of get lost a little bit, and he's been real focused throughout that and really hasn't hit a rookie wall as much as at least I did for sure."

The Chiefs spent the entire regular season trying to find a wide receiver that Patrick Mahomes could rely on. It was often a struggle for this offense in ways that haven't happened at any point in his career.

Kansas City finished 15th in the league with 21.8 points per game. It was the team's lowest ranking in that category since 2014 (16th). It was its fewest points per game in a season since 2012 under head coach Romeo Crennel when it ranked last in the NFL with 13.2 points per game.

Drops were a the main reason behind those offensive struggles. The Chiefs dropped an NFL-high 44 passes during the regular season. They also had the highest drop rate in the league at 6.9 percent.

A second-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft, Rice wasn't used much early in the season. He didn't play more than 55 percent of the offensive snaps in a game until Week 7 against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Rice had at least 90 receiving yards in three of the final six regular-season games, including a career-high 127 yards in a Week 16 win over the Cincinnati Bengals to clinch the AFC West.

Mahomes was seeking out Rice for the entire game against the Dolphins. The 23-year-old led all players in targets (12), receptions (eight) and receiving yards (130). He caught a touchdown pass on the opening drive to give Kansas City a 7-0 lead.

If Rice can continue on this trajectory, the Chiefs may have found the receiving answer they've been looking for to make another deep playoff run.

Next up for the Chiefs will be their first true road playoff game of the Mahomes era. They will play the Bills at Highmark Stadium on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET.