The Kansas City Chiefs have been ravaged by offensive injuries. It got started early with the team losing Hollywood Brown in the first preseason game. Then, a month into the season, their top receiver Rashee Rice tore his LCL, ending his season. Roughly two months later, do we have any updates on Rice’s status?
What Is Rashee Rice’s Injury?
The Chiefs’ offense has not operated at their projected full strength all season. They lost Brown in the preseason. They lost RB Isiah Pacheco in Week 2. Rice went down in Week 4. JuJu Smith-Schuster missed three games with a hamstring injury after being elevated to a primary role.
Some of those players are getting back. Smith-Schuster and Pacheco have returned, and there are rumblings that Brown could make it earlier than expected and play before the end of the regular season.
However, Rice is not so lucky, as his injury is by far the worst. Not only was his injury the only sure-fire season-ender, but it came because his quarterback recklessly launched his body into Rice’s knee following an interception.
Rice wound up tearing his LCL, which is far less common than a torn ACL or MCL. If there’s any silver lining, it’s that Rice’s recovery time for a torn LCL is more favorable than a torn ACL. The latter would have put his status for Week 1 in jeopardy.
A torn LCL undoubtedly ended Rice’s season, but he should be fully recovered by March, give or take a month.
When Will Rice Return From Injury?
Barring some sort of unexpected setback, there’s little concern that Rice will not only be 100% for Week 1 of the 2025 season but will be all systems go well before training camp.
Typically, we see a dip in production in a player’s first year back from a torn ACL. They don’t return to their former selves until the year after they return.
Although his recovery timeline is similar to that of a torn ACL, there isn’t any indication that it should cause as significant of a dip in his production. Thus, there is a very good chance Rice can produce at peak levels right away.
How Has Rice’s Absence Impacted the Chiefs?
Without Rice, WR Xavier Worthy was thrust into an immediate starting role. There have been some highs but mostly just disappointment. The rookie is very fast but is clearly unpolished as a receiver. He’s been prone to mental errors, most notably an inability to get his feet in bounds on wide-open receptions near the sideline.
Once Rice was lost as well, some people thought Worthy was poised to see even more work. That never really tracked, though, as Worthy’s role was what it was — he and Rice are nothing alike.
Instead, it was Smith-Schuster who stepped into the Rice role. Smith-Schuster performed admirably in his first game without Rice, catching seven passes for 130 yards in their Week 5 win over the New Orleans Saints. The hamstring strain set him back, though, and he’s yet to eclipse 10 receiving yards since returning.
All of these injuries compelled the Chiefs to make a move at the deadline, acquiring veteran WR DeAndre Hopkins from the Tennessee Titans. Hopkins has been a crucial add, even in a reduced role at age 32. Since making his Chiefs debut in Week 8, he ranks second on the team in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns, while also catching over 70% of his targets.
Even with Hopkins, the depletion at WR has caused Patrick Mahomes to rely more on Travis Kelce than the team had intended. The plan was to not overload Kelce during the regular season to keep him fresh for the playoffs. However, Kelce has instead played over 80% of the team’s snaps this season, his highest rate in a season since 2019.
All this has created a less explosive Chiefs offense that is highly reliant on maintaining a high success rate that allows them to barely stay on schedule. It’s worked just well enough so far, with a litany of close escapes putting Kansas City in position to earn the No. 1 seed in the playoffs. But championships are now the expectation, and it’s unclear whether the Chiefs have the offensive firepower to become the first Super Bowl three-peat champs.
