KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Kansas City Chiefs and wide receiver Rashee Rice have “a lot of optimism” that his knee injury is not as serious as initially feared and that his recovery timeline could be “much shorter” than first believed, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Monday

It’s still unlikely Rice will play again this season, but doctors won’t know for sure until she undergoes surgery Tuesday morning, the source said.

Rice injured his right knee during the Chiefs’ Week 4 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. Sources initially said it was feared Rice had torn his ACL, but the team has not yet officially clarified the nature of the injury. There is damage to the lateral collateral ligament (LCL) in his knee, a source told Schefter.

The Chiefs placed Rice on injured reserve on Thursday, which will sideline him for at least the next four games.

Rice was injured when quarterback Patrick Mahomes accidentally collided with his knee as the two and other players chased down a Chargers fumble that followed an interception.

Entering Week 4, Rice led the NFL in receptions with 24 and was second in yards with 288.