Exploratory surgery is a term that has gone the way of 8-track tapes and full-service gasoline. It sounds like it’s making a comeback.

Via Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, Chiefs receiver Rashee Rice is having surgery this week to determine the severity of the knee injury he suffered last week against the Chargers. And yes, it sounds exploratory.

Rice will see a specialist “with plans to undergo an arthroscopic procedure to assess the damage to his knee.” At that point, Rice and the Chiefs will likely know if he can play again this year.

I’ve been doing this for 24 years. I can’t remember a knee injury that could only be diagnosed with surgery. Maybe it happened and I just forgot about it. Maybe it was never explained that way. Anyway, this seems unusual.

It comes at a time that Rice’s broader career strategies point to to solve his problem off the field (he faces eight misdemeanor charges stemming from a street racing incident in March 2024), will be serving a suspension this year, serving it while injured, and hopes to return to the NFL healthy and unencumbered in 2025. Has the extent of his injury been played out slowly, such that a suspension seems meaningful given there is a vague chance of him returning to action?

We don’t know the answer. But it’s fair to at least wonder about the question.

A clear answer could come as soon as this week, if the end result of the exploratory process is that Rice is indeed out this year. If there is still no definitive diagnosis and prognosis, that question remains fair.