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Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice will undergo lateral collateral ligament (LCL) surgery Tuesday and is expected to miss the remainder of the season, according to multiple reports.
During the Chiefs’ Week 4 win against the Los Angeles Chargers, Rice chased cornerback Kristian Fulton near Kansas City’s sideline after quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ interception. Rice’s right leg was bent backward when he ran into Mahomes, who was using his right shoulder in an attempt to tackle Fulton.
Within minutes, medical personnel carted Rice to the locker room with his hands and a towel covering his face. The Chiefs initially feared Rice tore his ACL, but more testing was done to determine the severity. Last week, the Chiefs placed him on injured reserve.
In Rice’s absence, the team is expected to utilize JuJu Smith-Schuster and Justin Watson more at wide receiver. The Chiefs are expected to evaluate the depth of their receivers in the next three games to inform themselves better if they need to make a trade for a veteran receiver before the deadline.
The start of the season has seen coach Andy Reid’s team suffer several significant injuries on offense. In addition to Rice, the team is without wide receiver Hollywood Brown (shoulder surgery) for months and running back Isiah Pacheco (fractured fibula) for several more games.
Kansas City drafted Rice in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft, and he’s become Kansas City’s leading receiver. Since last season, Rice has led all Chiefs players in receiving yards (1,226) and receiving touchdowns (9). This season, he has been the team’s top option and leads the Chiefs in receptions (24) and receiving yards (288) and is tied for the lead in receiving touchdowns (2).
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During the offseason, Rice was involved in a multi-vehicle crash in northeast Dallas, according to police. He faces 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 local 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 will continue 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 C. Cox / Getty Images)
