Kansas City Chiefs rookie Rashee Rice recently opened up about teammate Travis Kelce’s high-profile relationship with Taylor Swift, saying that her presence has been a positive thing for the team’s popularity with fans. 

The reigning Super Bowl champions are certainly not lacking in that department, but Swifts’ presence at NFL games has undeniably taken the fandom to another level. 

“I’m happy for Trav. She’s real good [with supporting] the team and she brought a lot more fans to the team too,” Rice said during a recent appearance on the “Airing It Out podcast” with former NFL player, TJ Houshmandzadeh. 

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Rice, who was drafted by the Chiefs in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft, said he has been around the international pop sensation during his downtime with Kelce and quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

“I’ve seen her, but I didn’t go up to her like ‘Can I get a picture?’ or nothing like that.” 

“You know, those guys like Trav, Pat – those guys invite us out because they know that we’re the only guys that see them every day and see them as for who they really are, not just like, ‘Bro you’re a superstar football player!’ Like nah, it’s just Pat, it’s just Trav,” he continued. 

Kansas City Chiefs TE Travis Kelce, #87, heads out onto the field before the game. (Matthew J. Lee/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

FROM OUTKICK: PATRICK MAHOMES MAKES TAYLOR SWIFT OFFICIAL MEMBER OF KANSAS CITY CHIEFS: ‘SHE’S PART OF THE TEAM’

The time spent bonding off the field is certainly translating to chemistry on the field between Rice and Mahomes. 

Rice has hauled in 68 catches for 754 yards and seven touchdowns through Week 15. His last touchdown in Sunday’s win over the New England Patriots set a new franchise record for the most receiving touchdowns by a rookie. 

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“You know, his game just keeps going up, man,” Kelce said of Rice. “I’m proud of the way he’s been able to handle the ups and downs of the season. Right now, he’s playing great ball.”

Rashee Rice, #4 of the Kansas City Chiefs, celebrates a third quarter touchdown catch with Travis Kelce, #87 of the Kansas City Chiefs, against the Buffalo Bills at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on Dec. 10, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri. (David Eulitt/Getty Images)

Rice has slowly emerged as one of Mahomes’ favorite targets – a bright spot for the Chiefs’ offense. He has played well over 85% of snaps in their last two games. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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The defending Super Bowl champs have yet to clinch a playoff spot, but Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is advising fans to trust the process. 

Speaking to “CBS Mornings” host Nate Burleson on Friday, Mahomes was asked about the “panic” surrounding the Chiefs’ recent slowdown, which included a two-game slide before a win over the struggling New England Patriots on Sunday. 

“There isn’t,” Mahomes said when asked if the team was experiencing any similar concern. 

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“I think people just aren’t used to us winning in this fashion. We’ve won a lot of close games, but we haven’t won those close games this year – but we’re right there. We know that. We watch the film, we see the good that’s out there – we also see the bad and where we need to get better. But you can’t panic, I think that’s the thing.” 

Kansas City is preparing to play the Las Vegas Raiders on Christmas Day, and a win would guarantee them their eighth straight division title – a streak second only to the Patriots’ 11-straight AFC East titles. 

FROM OUTKICK: PATRICK MAHOMES MAKES TAYLOR SWIFT OFFICIAL MEMBER OF KANSAS CITY CHIEFS: ‘SHE’S PART OF THE TEAM’

Travis Kelce, #87 of the Kansas City Chiefs, runs off the field following the game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on Dec. 17, 2023 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. ( Kathryn Riley/Getty Images)

The Chiefs are also still holding out hope of getting the No. 1 seed in the AFC, but Mahomes said Friday that the seeding is not as important as some believe it to be.

“Everything’s out in front of us. And everybody talks about the No. 1 seed, the No. 1 seed, the No. 1 seed. I’m like ‘I’ve been to the Super Bowl without it being the No. 1 seed before.’ So I think it’s just more about how can you find a way to win the game ahead of you and let the rest take care of itself.” 

RAIDERS’ JACK JONES DELIVERS ONE-LINER WHEN DISCUSSING KEY TO SLOWING DOWN CHIEFS, PATRICK MAHOMES

Despite picking up a crucial win last weekend, the cracks in the Chiefs’ offense were still noticeable. 

Dropped passes and turnovers continued to be an issue with Mahomes even exploding on the sidelines after Kadarius Toney’s dropped pass was intercepted by the Patriots. It came just a week after his offside penalty against the Buffalo Bills proved to be costly both on and off the field for Kansas City. 

Patrick Mahomes, #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs, pumps up the crowd prior to the game between the Buffalo Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on Dec. 10, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

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Head coach Andy Reid knows the Raiders’ defense will present the biggest challenge.  

“They’re great at that,” he told reporters on Thursday. “You better keep it high and tight, we’ve had a couple that have popped out and you know they’re going to go after the ball. But they do a nice job of doing that.” 

The Chiefs host the Raiders on Monday at 1:00 p.m. ET. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence will practice Friday as he remains in concussion protocol ahead of Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, according to head coach Doug Pederson. 

Lawrence was placed in concussion protocol following Jacksonville’s loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 15. 

“Part of protocol and where he’s at in the stages is he can practice today. That still doesn’t mean he’s cleared, but part of it is to actually to go through a practice, and the stress, and all that kind of stuff on him,” Pederson told reporters while adding that Lawrence will not be limited on Friday. 

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Lawrence did not practice on Wednesday or Thursday and was unlikely to play as of Thursday night, according to NFL media. 

“Trevor Lawrence not on the practice field again,” NFL Network reporter Ian Rapoport said Thursday. “Doug Pederson started the week by saying he was progressing well in the NFL’s concussion protocol, but that has not put him on the field. And generally, if a quarterback, or really any player, is not able to practice Wednesday, not able to practice Thursday, almost always that means the player is not going to progress fast enough through the concussion protocol to be able to play on Sunday. 

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, #16, runs with the ball during the game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Baltimore Ravens on Dec. 17, 2023 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

“It is a big game for the Jacksonville Jaguars against the Bucs. One they absolutely have to have, but it does seem like it’s going to be CJ Beathard. The backup quarterback who did spend a week early in the season preparing as if he was the starter when Trevor Lawrence was dealing with that ankle injury. It does seem that Beathard is going to get the start here for the Jags.” 

Lawrence has started every game for the Jaguars since he was selected with the first pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, a streak of 48 consecutive games. 

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“We’ve been through this,” Jacksonville offensive coordinator Press Taylor said Thursday, according to the Jaguars’ website . “This is not as chaotic as people would think. We’re not sure of Trevor’s status going into a game. Now, they have different skillsets, so you may feature different things based on the timing of the way they get the ball out, their movement skills, different things like that maybe you feature one way or the other.

“He (Beathard) is a quarterback. They both operate really well from the pocket, the things we want to do, the things they see well, then utilizing the guys around them is a big part of it.”

C.J. Beathard, #3 of the Jacksonville Jaguars, drops back to pass during an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals at EverBank Stadium on Dec. 4, 2023 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Perry Knotts/Getty Images)

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Jacksonville has dropped three straight games and now sit at 8-6, tied with the Houston Texans and the Indianapolis Colts atop the AFC South. 

Lawrence played against the Cleveland Browns in Week 14 after suffering a high ankle sprain against the Cincinnati Bengals the week prior. 

Recruiting in the new age of college football is drastically different from what it was a decade ago. 

With the implementation of the transfer portal, teams are able to go out and fill their needs with upperclassmen who are ready to make an immediate impact. 

How to balance recruiting in the transfer portal era has been a topic of conversation this week during the early signing period, where high school recruits can sign their letters of intent. 

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Alabama head coach Nick Saban was asked Thursday how his program goes about recruiting in the transfer portal era. 

“We don’t really have a specific number on it. Basically, we look at the transfer portal a lot like free agency. If we have a need on our team, because if a guy is going to transfer, he probably needs to play. He’s looking for a place to play. So, it’s important for him to be able to play. It’s important for you to be able to need him to play,” Saban said on “The Pat McAfee Show.” 

“So, we look at the transfer portal like, if we’re missing maybe a left tackle, or we’re missing a linebacker on defense – whatever the position is – we’re really searching to try to compliment our roster with guys that we can get from the transfer portal.”

Head coach Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide reacts to a play during the third quarter against the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 2, 2023, in Atlanta, Georgia. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

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Alabama has just one player committed from the transfer portal for the 2024 season, while the Crimson Tide pulled in the second-ranked recruiting class of the year, according to 247 Sports. 

It’s an approach that differs greatly from Saban’s friend and head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes, Deion Sanders. 

Sanders was the architect of the greatest roster flip that college football has ever seen, utilizing the transfer portal in his first season as head coach to infuse his roster with new talent. 

Sanders is going about his second offseason similarly, loading up on transfers who can make an impact immediately. 

Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders takes the field for warmups before the Rocky Mountain Showdown against the Colorado State Rams at Folsom Field on September 16, 2023.  (Andy Cross/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images)

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As of December 22, Colorado has the top transfer class, according to 247 Sports. The Buffaloes have signed 16 transfers, including six four-star players. 

The high school recruiting is another story, as Colorado is ranked 99th in the country after day one of the early signing period. Colorado had just five players sign national letters of intent and is still waiting for five-star offensive tackle Jordan Seaton to sign.

The Detroit Pistons are on track to tie the NBA’s longest single-season losing streak after dropping 25 straight with a loss to the short-handed Utah Jazz on Thursday night. 

“We had a shot to win it down the stretch, just wasn’t solid enough,” a disappointed Cade Cunningham said to reporters after the game. 

This has been the case for the Pistons for 25 straight games, as they are just one loss away from tying the league’s record, which was last done by the Philadelphia 76ers in 2013-2014 and the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2010-2011. 

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“That’s history that nobody wants to be a part of,” Cunningham continued. “We’re trying to build something that’s sustainable. It’s not like we’re just trying to go out there and win one game.”  

“We’re not 2-26 bad. No way are we that bad.” 

However, things do appear to be “that bad.” 

John Collins, #20 of the Utah Jazz, prepares to shoot a free throw during the game against the Detroit Pistons on Dec. 21, 2023 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. (Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images)

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Utah, without four of its top seven scorers, rallied behind Kelly Olynyk’s 25 points to defeat Detroit 119-111 after losing to Cleveland the night before. 

The Pistons missed their first six 3-point attempts of the fourth, and finished 1 for 10 on 3-point shots in the fourth. 

NBA GREAT CHARLES BARKLEY EAGERLY AWAITS MICHAEL JORDAN, SCOTTIE PIPPEN ‘UNCOMFORTABLE’ REUNION 

Videos circulated on social media after the game showing fans breaking out in chants of “Sell the team,” while some fans were seen with paper bags over their heads with the same messaging. 

“I want to be careful with my words, because this one hurts more than many of them just because of the situation,” first-year coach Monty Williams said after the game. “A team that played last night gets 50 points off of turnovers and rebounds… So this one’s unbelievably hard to understand how we can get outworked in those categories.”

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“That is absolutely on me,” Williams continued. “For whatever reason, it’s been the same story all year long with those two categories, particularly the turnovers. And it’s a tough one to swallow.” 

John Collins, #20 of the Utah Jazz, prepares to shoot a free throw during the game against the Detroit Pistons on Dec. 21, 2023 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. (Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Pistons will have a chance to avoid landing on the wrong side of history when they travel to New York to take on the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday night. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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After lots of rumors swirled surrounding how former NFL Mike Williams died, officials released an official cause of death late Thursday, while still leaving the door open for other factors.

It was initially reported on Sept. 5 that the ex-Tampa Bay Buccaneer had died after he took an accidental blow to the head at a construction site. However, days later, it was revealed he was “fighting for his life.”

Williams eventually died on Sept. 12, and the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner Department said he succumbed to “Bacterial Sepsis with Cerebral Abscesses and Necrotizing Lobar Pneumonia due to multiple Dental Caries and retained tooth roots.”

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Essentially, his brain had pus growing around it after he had severe dental problems to the point where infections spread. Initial tests showed he had brain swelling and infections.

Fox 13 Tampa also says heart disease played a role – he suffered from a cardiac arrest, as well, shortly after the construction accident that occurred back on Sept. 1.

Mike Williams, #19 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, celebrates in the end zone in the first quarter after scoring a touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals at Raymond James Stadium on Sept. 29, 2013 in Tampa, Florida. (Getty Images)

GIANTS’ TOMMY DEVITO SAYS HIS HIGH SCHOOL RIVALRY WAS THE MOST HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT HE’S EVER PLAYED IN

Tampa Bay selected Williams in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft, and he made an immediate impact. 

In his rookie season, he led the team with 964 receiving yards, and his 65 receptions were one shy of tying the team lead. He also scored 11 times, the most on the team, and his impressive campaign was good for a second-place honor for Offensive Rookie of the Year behind St. Louis Rams quarterback Sam Bradford.

The Bucs signed him to an extension worth close to $40 million before the 2013 campaign, but he played in just six games that year and was then traded to his hometown Buffalo Bills, where he spent one season. However, he was unable to take the next step in his career. The most receiving yards he had in one season was 996 in 2012.

Mike Williams, #19 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, runs with a catch against Thomas DeCoud, #28 of the Atlanta Falcons, at Raymond James Stadium on Dec. 5, 2010 in Tampa, Florida. (Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)

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Williams’ 20 touchdowns at Syracuse are tied for the second-most in school history, along with Pro Football Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison.

In his professional career, he caught 223 passes for 3,089 yards and 26 touchdowns.

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Former Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back Ryan Clark became the latest to tear into the team after the latest drama surrounding wide receiver George Pickens.

Pickens caught flack for failing to block for his teammates in last week’s game against the Indianapolis Colts. Pickens explained he did not want to risk a serious injury, but Steelers running back Jaylen Warren said he would have blocked for him.

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For Pittsburgh, it is another chapter of drama that has plagued the organization over the last five years. Clark pointed to a “cancer” within the wide receivers on ESPN’s “NFL Live”

“The other piece of it for me is the state of that room, the wide receiver room,” he said. “From Antonio Brown to JuJu (Smith-Schuster) to Chase Claypool to Diontae (Johnson) to now George Pickens. There’s been a cancer in that room. I don’t know how it started. I don’t know if it’s coach (Mike) Tomlin’s ability or willingness to let you be authentically you, but something needs to change.

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“Because what’s happened generation to generation, era to era, year to year in that room has been absolutely unacceptable.”

Coach Mike Tomlin appeared to address the Pickens issue on Wednesday. He seemed to hint that Pickens’ comments and actions were heightened amid the team’s three-game losing streak in which they have lost their postseason spot.

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens, #14, is tackled by Indianapolis Colts safety Rodney Thomas, #25, during the NFL game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Indianapolis Colts on Dec. 16, 2023, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. (Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

RAIDERS’ JACK JONES DELIVERS ONE-LINER WHEN DISCUSSING KEY TO SLOWING DOWN CHIEFS, PATRICK MAHOMES

“When you’re winning and doing your jobs, a lot of the attention is on things such as that,” Tomlin said to reporters on Wednesday, via CBS Sports. “When you’re not doing your job and losing, you better keep your damn mouth shut and understand that that tracks a certain type of attention, as well. And usually that’s vulture-like attention.”

However, Pickens’ frustrations date back to even earlier this season. In a Week 9 game against the Tennessee Titans, Pickens finished with a total of minus-1 yard. Shortly after the game, he appeared to voice his frustrations on social media, writing “free me” in a post.

George Pickens, #14, of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks on during the first half against the New England Patriots at Acrisure Stadium on Dec. 7, 2023 in Pittsburgh. (Joe Sargent/Getty Images)

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Even with that game on his resume, though, he still has 814 receiving yards this season, so it is certainly not out of the question he could get 1,000 in his second NFL season while on a team in which offense has been an issue all season long.

Fox News’ Ryan Morik contributed to this report.

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Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown floated a radical plan on Thursday in the name of player safety – get rid of “Monday Night Football.”

Brown and the Eagles will play the New York Giants on Christmas Day. It would be the team’s second consecutive Monday night game after the team fell to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 15.

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In an interview with DraftKings, Brown lamented the physical toll a short week has on the players’ bodies.

“It most definitely does, honestly. Because it’s a short week and then right after the game you only have a certain amount of time just for your body to recover, and it speeds up the process, and that adds … wear and tear with practice,” the star wide receiver said.

GIANTS’ TOMMY DEVITO SAYS HIS HIGH SCHOOL RIVALRY WAS THE MOST HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT HE’S EVER PLAYED IN

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown, #11, looks on during the game between the Buffalo Bills and the Philadelphia Eagles on Nov. 26, 2023 at Lincoln Financial Field. (Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

“So, it gets difficult. The Monday night games, I think they shoulda took out. I know it’s cool, everybody watching you on Monday night, but the turnaround after that, it’s difficult, especially if you leave the game a little banged up.”

The short weeks have been tough for players to get healthy and this late in the season, every team would probably like to have a little extra rest.

However, Monday night, or Thursday night games for that matter, are not going anywhere. The NFL even added a Black Friday game for the first time this year.

A.J. Brown, #11 of the Philadelphia Eagles, looks on against the San Francisco 49ers at Lincoln Financial Field on Dec. 3, 2023 in Philadelphia. (Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

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Philadelphia had six players on its injury report heading into the game against the Seahawks.

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