Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice was carted off the field with a knee injury early in Sunday’s win over the Los Angeles Chargers.
Though specifics are still not known, Rice is feared to have a “serious and significant” knee injury that could cost him the rest of his season, according to the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. He will undergo an MRI on Monday to confirm, but the Chiefs believe he tore his ACL.
Rice sustained 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.
Andy Reid: ‘It’s not good’
The Chiefs quickly ruled Rice out with a knee injury. The extent of the injury wasn’t initially clear. Head coach Andy Reid declined to go into specifics of Rice’s injury at halftime but told CBS: “It’s not good.”
Rice will undergo an MRI on his knee on Monday.
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 two 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 is on the verge of turning 35 years old.
“Hopefully we can get him back at some point this season, but if not, other guys gotta step up,” Mahomes said, via ESPN’s Field Yates. “That’s what football is about. I think we’ve got a lot of good guys out there that can go out there and make plays.”
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.