The Kansas City Chiefs may be without their top wide receiver for the foreseeable future. Wide receiver Rashee Rice, who was carted off the field in the first quarter of Sunday’s 17-10 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers, is feared to have torn his ACL, a team source confirmed. Rice will undergo an MRI on Monday, according to Chiefs head coach Andy Reid.
“We have to wait and see, but I’m sure it’s not as good of news as we want,” Reid said during his postgame news conference.
“I feel terrible for Rashee because he’s been having a fantastic year,” he continued. “We’ll have to wait on the report.”
The early departure of Rice highlighted Kansas City’s lack of depth at wide receiver. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was able to work his connection with Travis Kelce, setting season-high marks of seven receptions and 89 receiving yards for the 34-year-old tight end. He also connected with a new young talent in rookie receiver Xavier Worthy on a 54-yard touchdown pass, the longest pass by air yards of Mahomes’ career, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.
Beyond that, though, Kansas City struggled to spread the ball around to much effect. Worthy finished with 73 yards, catching just two passes for 19 yards outside the explosive touchdown. Non-Kelce, non-Worthy targets combined for 10 receptions and 83 yards on 17 targets. Mahomes highlighted the need for others to step up when addressing the Rice injury.
“I thought guys stepped up and filled as good they can the role (Rice) has in our offense, which is a big one,” Mahomes said. “All we can do now is try and go back to the basics and try to get guys an opportunity to succeed.”
Andy Reid with some ominous words on the status of Rashee Rice | @tracywolfson pic.twitter.com/Rr1ewldI8e
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) September 29, 2024
Kansas City drafted Rice in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft, and he had an immediate impact. Dating to last season, Rice leads all Chiefs players in receiving yards (1,226) and receiving touchdowns (9). This season, Rice has been Kansas City’s top pass-catching option. Rice leads the Chiefs in all major receiving categories this season — receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns — despite not catching a pass Sunday.
If Rice is ruled out for the season with an ACL tear, it could be even longer before Chiefs fans see him on the field. During the 2024 offseason, Rice was involved in a multi-vehicle crash in northeast Dallas, according to police. He is facing one count of aggravated assault, one count of collision involving serious bodily injury and six counts of collision involving injury. In April, Rice turned himself in after the Dallas Police Department issued an arrest warrant for him. In May, Rice was under investigation by the Dallas Police Department for allegedly punching a photographer inside a Dallas nightclub, according to a report by WFAA-TV. No charges were pursued.
The NFL did not place Rice on the commissioner’s exempt list stemming from his arrest after the crash. Jeff Miller, NFL executive vice president of communications, public affairs and policy, said the league continues to monitor developments regarding Rice and his legal problems as it waits to see how the legal investigation plays out. The 24-year-old receiver is set for a jury trial in June 2025 for the multi-vehicle crash, according to multiple reports.
(Photo: Kevin Sabitus / Getty Images)
