Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice was carted off the field with a knee injury early in Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Rice suffered the injury while giving chase after quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw an interception to Chargers cornerback Kristian Fulton. Rice tracked down Fulton on the interception return and stripped the ball from behind. At the same time, Mahomes dove in front of Fulton for a tackle.
Rice’s right foot was planted in the turf, and Mahomes made contact with Rice’s leg on his tackle attempt. Rice’s knee bent awkwardly upon the collision.
The loose ball bounced out of bounds, and the Chargers retained possession. They converted the turnover into a field goal to extend their early lead to 10-0.
After the play, Rice hobbled to the bench with the help of two trainers and struggled to put weight on his right leg on the sideline. After speaking with a trainer, Rice left the field lying down on a cart. He held his head in his hands as he was carted off the field.
The Chiefs quickly ruled Rice out with a knee injury. The extent of the knee injury wasn’t initially clear.
Another blow to Kansas City’s offense
An injury of significance would be a big blow to Kansas City’s offense. A second-year receiver, Rice has emerged as Mahomes’ clear No. 1 target in 2024. He entered Sunday having tallied 24 catches for 288 yards with 2 touchdowns in Kansas City’s 3-0 start.
Kansas City’s next-leading receiver through three weeks was rookie Xavier Worthy with six catches for 81 yards and a touchdown. Perennial Pro Bowl tight end Travis Kelce started Sunday with just eight catches for 69 yards in three games and on the verge of turning 35 years old.
The injury is the second of significance this season to a Chiefs skill-position player. Starting running back Isiah Pacheco required surgery for a fractured fibula suffered in Week 2. He’s on injured reserve and expected to miss a minimum of six-to-eight weeks.