When we first learned that SMU WR Rashee Rice worked out with Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes in Texas this offseason, the assumption was that this occurred just as other pre-draft workouts with TCU WR Quentin Johnston and Boston College WR Zay Flowers did. Agents linked up and made it happen to get their players some publicity ahead of the 2023 NFL draft.

In a recent interview on 610 Sports Radio’s Cody & Gold, Rice revealed that meeting and working out with Mahomes ahead of the draft all happened by chance. He went to train with his former SMU teammates — one of whom is Chiefs backup QB Shane Buechele — and Mahomes just happened to be at the same session.

“So, honestly, that’s how I got to get introduced to Pat (Mahomes),” Rice said. “Because they were training out in Fort Worth and I just wanted to get some routes in with my old wide receiver Reggie Robertson and my old quarterback Shane Buechele and then Pat turned out to be there.”

The opportunity that he now has in Kansas City is in part thanks to the work that he put in that day with Buechele and Mahomes, but also the relationship he cultivated with his former SMU quarterback. It’s clear that the two provided the front office with some input in the evaluation process.

“Honestly, it’s surreal,” Rice said. “It’s more than a blessing because I didn’t really have too much control over where I would end up. A lot of guys had good ideas of where they could possibly go. I’m real thankful for Pat (Mahomes), Shane Buechele — my old quarterback from college. Just those guys kind of putting in a bit of input and me being able to come here and back it up.”

Rice isn’t taking the opportunity lightly. There is a bit of a need to prove Buechele and Mahomes’ confidence right. At the same time, he also feels that he’s exactly where he’s supposed to be.

“Everything happens for a reason,” he said.