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The Kansas City Chiefs are being predicted to have an even stronger season than last, and here’s why one player will make the difference.

The Kansas City Chiefs are coming up on a new season, and they’re looking good, but the powers at be are still making sure all the pieces are set to get the team back to the big game and hopefully make history of the good kind. While the Chiefs didn’t have to deal with as many injuries as many NFL teams last season, they did have some doozies.

Now, one of the Chiefs’ strongest players is being predicted to really shake up the team with his triumphant return in 2025. It’s the perfect time to look ahead, because the NFL just announced training camp dates for teams, so the beginning of the season is getting closer.

Injured Players We Can’t Wait to See Back

NFL analyst and expert Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report lays out a roster of NFL players who are returning in 2025 after injury and who should make a big difference for their franchises.

“Training camp isn’t a sufficient substitute for real, meaningful football games, of course,” he says in the piece. “However, the preparation period can provide some satisfaction by giving fans an early glimpse at new coaches, new systems and new players. In some cases, camp will also provide a long-anticipated look at players returning from significant 2024 injuries.”

GettyThe Kansas City Chiefs are being predicted to have an even stronger season than last.

One of the Chiefs’ strongest assets is on the tally in wide receiver Rashee Rice. It’s true that he can’t come back soon enough.

“As long as the Kansas City Chiefs have Andy Reid on the sideline and Patrick Mahomes under center, we’re going to enjoy watching them,” Knox states in the feature. “However, the team’s 16th-ranked offense wasn’t quite as entertaining in 2024 as it has been in years past.”

Losing Rice had something to do with that. Knox notes that “the offense lost a lot when Rashee Rice suffered a season-ending LCL tear in Week 4.” When he was injured, Rice seemed “to be on his way to being Mahomes’ newest go-to target. In less than four full games, he caught 24 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns,” Knox adds.

The good news is that after the Chiefs’ minicamp, coach Andy Reid told reporters that both Rice and  Josh Simmons should be ready for training camp on July 21. “They’re both ready to go, yeah,” Reid said. “They actually got great work in in these camps here.”

Why Kansas City Chiefs WR Rashee Rice is So Important

Having Rice back is really going to give the Chiefs a huge boost that they just didn’t have last season. Getting injured in Week 4 is very early, and it’s incredible that the Chiefs had the kind of success they did without Rice for the majority of the season. But, yes, he would have made a difference in the Super Bowl. Welcome back, Rice.

“With Rice healthy, the Kansas City offense will have a real chance to rebound in 2025. Simmons should boost Mahomes’ protection, Worthy will have another offseason of experience under his belt, and a slimmer Travis Kelce might provide a little more juice from the tight end position,” Knox adds.

Anne Erickson is an award-winning reporter for Heavy Sports covering the NFL, NBA and college football. Anne Erickson has years of experience covering the NFL and additional sports, and her work has been published via ESPN, Fox Sports and more. She has interviewed some of the biggest names in sports, including Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff. Erickson also hosts several podcasts and is a Detroit-based radio host. More about Anne Erickson

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