The Kansas City Chiefs may be 4-0 at the start of the 2024 NFL season, but not everything is sunshine and roses for Patrick Mahomes and company. Now, the team is expected to miss Rashee Rice for a long time.
On Sunday’s win over the Los Angeles Chargers, Mahomes injured his teammate by accidentally tackling Rice after throwing an interception in the first quarter. As the team waits for MRI to reveal the extent of the wideout’s injury, the Chiefs quarterback sent a clear message to his teammates.
“I think more than anything, it’s just trying to get everybody settled back down, including myself,” Mahomes told the media after the game, via Sports Illustrated. “At the beginning of the game in general, we were trying to do too much, and that’s why we had the fumble and the interception. I thought guys stepped up and filled, as good as they [could], the role that he has in our offense, which is a big one. All we can do now is try to go back to the basics and try to get guys opportunities to succeed.”
Though the Chiefs are still waiting for an official diagnosis, the outlook is far from encouraging. It appears that Rice may have suffered a torn ACL, an injury that would leave Mahomes without his primary weapon for the rest of the 2024 NFL season.
Mahomes took the blame for the play that led to Rice’s injury, but he let all of his teammates know they must be ready to step up during the wide receiver’s absence: “All you do is pray that the X-rays, MRIs and stuff like that are better than what it looked [like]. Next man up until he’s back.”
Mahomes, Chiefs prepared for terrible update on Rice
Mahomes and the Chiefs would love to hear good news about Rice, but it seems that they shouldn’t be so optimistic. According to NFL insider James Palmer, the second-year wide receiver may be out for the rest of the season with a torn ACL.
“It is feared Chiefs WR Rashee Rice has potentially suffered a season ending ACL tear per source,” Palmer wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “An MRI tomorrow will provide more information, but the Chiefs are preparing for the worst. Brutal blow to a player that was off to an outstanding sophomore season.”
Even after the injury, Rice continues to lead the Chiefs in targets, receptions, and receiving yards in the 2024 NFL season. Rookie wideout Xavier Worthy tied him for the most receiving touchdowns but only after Rice left the Chargers game injured.
Andy Reid prepared for bad news about Rice
Speaking to reporters after Sunday’s victory, head coach Andy Reid suggested Rice’s injury might be serious: “It’s his knee, and I think we’ll have to wait and see, but I’m sure it’s not as good of news as we want.”
This would leave Mahomes without another key weapon for the rest of the season after early injuries from Hollywood Brown and Isiah Pacheco. Reid, however, echoed the quarterback’s sentiment about seeing the rest of the team take a step forward.
“They feel terrible for Rashee because he’s having a fantastic year. We’ll hope for the best on the report, but if he is out, then… I thought Pat stepped up and just said, ‘Hey, we’re gonna roll,‘” Reid said.