Rashee Rice had someone close by during his knee rehab who knew exactly what the process felt like. He opened up about that period after making his return for Kansas City against the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football.

Patrick Mahomes was already working through his own recovery when Rice returned to Kansas City to continue his rehab. The Chiefs quarterback was apparently putting in the work every morning, giving Rice another reason to keep up with him.

“So, I really didn't have an excuse to be behind, if that's what you could say, as far as recovering and being ready when he was going to be ready,” Rashee Rice said on September 18.

Rice's return also comes at an important time for the Chiefs' wide receiver group. CBS Sports' Jared Dubin ranked Kansas City 29th among the NFL's 32 teams at the position before the season, pointing to the injury concerns surrounding Rice and Xavier Worthy.

“Coming back to Kansas and showing up every day, every morning to do rehab. Pat was already in there first. So, the second I get in there, he's already full sweat and working real hard,” Rice said on Defending The Kingdom Podcast on September 18.

Mahomes had a longer recovery ahead of him, but Rice could still follow the quarterback's routine and keep pushing through his own rehab.

“It was just kind of easy to follow everything he had going on, just to make sure my knee healed as quick as his because he had a longer recovery than me,” Rice added.

Rice showed what his return could add against Denver. Kansas City put together a 10-play, 80-yard drive late in the first half, with Kenneth Walker III helping move the offense downfield before Mahomes found Rice for a 13-yard touchdown.

For Rice, getting back on the field came after a long rehab process. Having Mahomes going through his own recovery at the same time gave him someone to follow along the way.

Mahomes was recovering alongside Rice. Now, he has shared an update on how he feels after returning to action.

How is Patrick Mahomes feeling ahead of the Colts matchup?

Patrick Mahomes is not spending much time thinking about his injured knee anymore.

After returning for Kansas City’s season opener against the Denver Broncos, the Chiefs quarterback said he feels normal heading into Week 2 against the Indianapolis Colts.

“Yeah, I feel normal,” Mahomes said, according to The Comeback. “Actually, I mean, it’s like a blessing and curse. You get sore everywhere else because you haven’t played football in so long. And so, the leg is like the least of my worries right now.”

Mahomes also showed he was comfortable running again. On the first play against Denver, he scrambled through the defense for a 15-yard touchdown.

For Mahomes, getting back into an actual game was the biggest part of the process. He said there was no real way to know how he would feel until he played.

That play came after the ACL injury that ended his previous season, making his willingness to run an early part of his return.

The Colts will be Mahomes' next test as he continues getting back into his usual rhythm after missing the end of last season.

Written by

Debanjali Rakshit