Rashee Rice of the Kansas City Chiefs was injured on a Patrick Mahomes interception in a Week 4 game against the Los Angeles Chargers. He had surgery on his LCL and his hamstring tendon. Rice avoided tears or damage to his ACL or meniscus. The Chiefs put Rice on injured reserve. He was declared out for the season and the playoffs. Despite Rice’s rehabilitation being ahead of schedule, there is no way he will be back for the Super Bowl, even if the Chiefs advance.
Rice Out for Playoffs, Will Miss the Super Bowl Should Chiefs Advance
The internet has been set ablaze with rumors of Rice getting ready to come back to the Chiefs, possibly for the Super Bowl should they advance. Those thoughts should quickly leave everyone’s head as quickly as they got there as it is not possible.
It will still take nine months for him to fully recover. He will make it back in 2025, but not in February. The surgery was in October.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid even said after the surgery Rice’s timeline for a return to football would be substantially similar to a player who tore their ACL, which would me he would be back in approximately nine months.
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“It’s probably the same result, though, as you’d get time-wise for an ACL,” Reid told reporters. “It takes a while for that to come back.”
Rice released a 41-second video of his rehabilitation regimen and he appears to be ahead of schedule. The video including Rice doing single leg squats took the internet by storm and started speculation that the Chiefs may open up his 21-day practice window before the Jan. 19 deadline to make him eligible for the Super Bowl.
It looks like rehab is going great for Rashee Rice. I thought he wasn’t coming back for the playoffs? He looks way ahead of schedule. Reid never said Super Bowl just playoffs. He couldn’t be back if the Chiefs make it to the Super Bowl, right?
🎥: IG | doub11e_r pic.twitter.com/aehbe0ZbjS
— Brad Henson Productions (@BradHensonPro) January 13, 2025
While the video stirred up plenty of speculation, former Chiefs’ lineman Mitchell Schwartz took to social media to respond to the rumors that Rice might be ready for the Super Bowl.
“Yes single leg squats means he’s 4 weeks away from being able to do everything a WR needs to do on the field and also get hit by defenders,” Schwartz said, sarcastically.
Yes single leg squats means he’s 4 weeks away from being able to do everything a WR needs to do on the field and also get hit by defenders https://t.co/TRfRfeRSCK
— Mitchell Schwartz (@MitchSchwartz71) January 14, 2025
Schwartz confirmed in the comments that he was mocking the idea that Rice might be able to play in the Super Bowl.
Rice will not be able to return for the Super Bowl. The Chiefs did not open up his 21-day practice window, so there’s no chance of him making a surprise appearance.
A better goal for Rice is returning in time for the 2025 season opener.