Despite being just 11th in the NFL in points per game, the Kansas City Chiefs are 14-1. The Chiefs’ offensive sluggishness stems in part from losing star wide receiver Rashee Rice to a knee injury back in Week 4.
Rice’s knee injury was one of the most unfortunate injuries to occur in the NFL during the 2024 season. Let’s examine what happened to Rice, how long he’ll be out, and more.
What Is Rashee Rice’s Injury?
Rice was injured on a Patrick Mahomes interception in Week 4 against the Chargers. The receiver forced Chargers cornerback Kristian Fulton to fumble on the return, but Mahomes appeared to take out Rice’s right knee while trying to make a tackle. To add insult to injury, Fulton’s fumble and the Chiefs’ ensuing recovery were eventually overturned.
After allowing the swelling in his knee to abate, Rice underwent an arthroscopic knee procedure on Monday, Oct. 7. That operation yielded positive news, indicating that, while Rice needed an LCL repair, he may not have damaged any other ligaments.
The following day, Rice had surgery on his LCL and his hamstring tendon, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz. Rice avoided tears or damage to his ACL or meniscus. Schultz called Rice’s operation “the best-case scenario.”
How Long Is Rice Out?
The Chiefs announced that Rice would miss the rest of the 2024 regular season with his knee injury. However, the key word used in NFL insider Jordan Schultz’s report on Rice’s recovery is “regular” season.
Recently, Rice posted a photo on Instagram of himself, Hollywood Brown (who just made his own return to the field in the Chiefs’ 27-19 victory over the Houston Texans), and Xavier Worthy. This picture of the Chiefs’ wide receiver trio has sparked hope that Rice could return at some point during the postseason.
The Chiefs could certainly use another boost to their offense to help them get into the top 10 in the NFL in scoring.
As a rookie, Rice recorded 79 receptions on 102 targets for 938 yards and seven touchdowns. He had a very solid rookie season that saw him finish tied for sixth in 2023 Offensive Rookie of the Year voting with Baltimore Ravens WR Zay Flowers and Green Bay Packers WR Jayden Reed (while Houston Texans C.J. Stroud won the award).
The Chiefs are hoping to become the first team in NFL history to win three consecutive Super Bowls. They are currently 14-1 and the favorite to land the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
How Would Rice Playing Help the Chiefs In the Playoffs?
Rice was a big part of the Chiefs’ 2023 Super Bowl run, recording 26 receptions on 33 targets for 262 yards and a touchdown during the postseason as a rookie.
Rice’s eight catches for 130 yards and a touchdown against the Miami Dolphins in the opening round of last year’s playoffs was a Chiefs rookie playoff record.
Worthy has been doing his best to replicate Rice’s rookie season output, recording 51 receptions on 89 targets for 559 yards and five touchdowns thus far. While Worthy is not quite to the level of Rice in his rookie season, he has been effective and still has two games to try to surpass Rice’s stats.
If Rice is unable to return at any point during the postseason, the Chiefs will have to lean heavily on Worthy and the newly returned Brown, as well as the rapport between Mahomes and Travis Kelce that has produced plenty of highlights over the years.