Chiefs' Rashee Rice: Starting in bench role

Chiefs general manager Brett Veach suggested Wednesday that Rice will start the season as a part-time player, Jesse Newell of The Kansas City Star reports.

Veach used the term "package player" to describe Rice and Justyn Ross, while 2022 second-round pick Skyy Moore was said to have earned an "every-down" role. Rice, a 2023 second-round selection, had the fifth-most receiving yards (155) in the NFL this preseason, but he spent significant time playing with backups and dropped two or three passes in the Chiefs' final exhibition. His role for Week 1 against the Lions partially depends on the health of Kadarius Toney's knee, with Moore and Marquez Valdes-Scantling being the safe bets to take on the majority of Kansas City's wideout snaps in the opener.