NFL
What did Patrick Mahomes say after injuring Chiefs teammate Rashee Rice? Injury update
The Kansas City Chiefs continued their winning start to the NFL season against the Charger but may have lost a key piece to long-term injury.
The Kansas City Chiefs ground out a 17-10 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, maintaining their 100% start to the new NFL season. But all is not well in the Chiefs kingdom and fans are sweating over the fitness of wide receiver Rashee Rice after a freak collision with quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
After overthrowing to Travis Kelce at midfield, Mahomes sought to pursue Chargers cornerback Kristian Fulton in an interception run. Both Mahomes and Rice caught Fulton, stopping the breakaway run, but Mahomes took out his teammate in the process. The tackle impact hit Rice’s knees and his right leg buckled under the pressure, appearing to hyperextend and forcing him to hobble from the field.
“I thought Rashee made a good play. I was going to tackle the guy (Fulton) and obviously rolled up on him,” Mahomes told reporters after the Chiefs’ win. “I didn’t know exactly what happened because I was trying to make a tackle, but I know Rashee and how tough he is.”
“Him being down like that, I knew it wasn’t good,” Mahomes said.
How long will Rashee Rice be out for?
Kelce was able to step up in the absence of Rice, making seven receptions for 89 yards, but the fitness of Rashee Rice will be a major focus of Chiefs fans in the coming days. Rice enjoyed a thrilling breakthrough season in 2023, breaking the NFL record for post-season receptions by a rookie.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid revealed that Rice would undergo an MRI scan on Monday to assess the extent of the injury. However he did not seem optimistic about the likely results.
“I’m sure it’s not as good of news as we want,” Reid admitted on Sunday evening. “I feel terrible for Rashee because he is having a fantastic year. We’ll hope for the best.”
Across the first three games of 2024 Rice led his team for catches (24), targets (29), receiving yards (288) and receiving touchdowns (2). An extended absence would be a major blow for the reigning champions but they do have options in their roster to replace him. In addition to Kelce, Xavier Worthy has made a lightening-fast start with the Chiefs. JuJu Smith-Schuster and Skyy Moore could also be in line for more minutes going forward.