The Kansas City Chiefs may be without their top wide receiver for the foreseeable future. Wide receiver Rashee Rice, who was carted off the field in the first quarter of Sunday’s 17-10 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, is feared to have torn his ACL, a team source confirmed. According to Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, Rice will undergo an MRI on Monday.

“We’ll have to wait and see, but I’m sure it’s not as good news as we would like,” Reid said in his post-match press conference.

“I feel bad for Rashee because he had a fantastic year,” he continued. “We will have to wait for the report.”

Rice’s early departure highlighted Kansas City’s lack of depth at wide receiver. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was able to connect with Travis Kelce, posting season-high marks of seven receptions and 89 receiving yards for the 34-year-old tight end. He also connected with another young talent in rookie receiver Xavier Worthy on a 54-yard touchdown pass, the longest air yards pass of Mahomes’ career, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.

But beyond that, Kansas City struggled to spread the ball around with much success. Worthy finished with 73 yards and caught just two passes for 19 yards outside of the explosive touchdown. Non-Kelce, non-worthy targets combined for 10 receptions and 83 yards on 17 targets. Mahomes emphasized the need for others to step up in addressing the Rice injury.

“I thought the guys did their best and filled the role that Rice plays in our offense, which is big, as best as they could,” Mahomes said. “All we can do now is try to get back to basics and try to give guys the opportunity to succeed.”

Andy Reid with some ominous words about Rashee Rice’s status | @tracywolfson pic.twitter.com/Rr1ewldI8e

— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) September 29, 2024

Kansas City drafted Rice in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft, and he made an immediate impact. Dating back to last season, Rice leads all Chiefs players in receiving yards (1,226) and receiving touchdowns (9). This season, Rice has been Kansas City’s best pass-catching option. Rice leads the Chiefs in all major receiving categories this season – receptions, yards and touchdowns – despite not catching a pass on Sunday.

If Rice is ruled out for the season due to an ACL tear, it could be even longer before Chiefs fans see him on the field. Police say Rice was involved in a multi-vehicle crash in northeast Dallas during the 2024 offseason. He faces one charge of aggravated assault, one collision with serious bodily injury and six collisions with serious bodily injury. In April, Rice turned himself in after Dallas police issued a warrant for his arrest. According to a report from WFAA-TV, Rice was investigated by Dallas police in May for allegedly punching a photographer at a Dallas nightclub. No charges were filed.

The NFL did not place Rice on the commissioner’s exempt list because of his arrest after the crash. Jeff Miller, the NFL’s executive vice president of communications, public affairs and policy, said the league continues to monitor developments regarding Rice and his legal troubles as they wait to see how the legal investigation will proceed. According to multiple reports, the 24-year-old trustee will face a jury trial in June 2025 over the multi-vehicle crash.

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(Photo: Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)