Through the first three weeks, no wide receiver had as many receiving yards as Rashee Rice. The young WR for the Chiefs has emerged as Patrick Mahomes’ favorite target early in 2024, helping Kansas City out to a 3-0 start to the campaign in the process.
However, the defending Super Bowl champions are going to have to navigate the rest of Sunday’s AFC West clash against the Chargers after Rice was carted off the field following a leg injury.
The second-year pro out of SMU entered Week 4 with 23 receptions on 29 targets for 288 yards and two receiving touchdowns. It was the best stat line out of a receiver through the first three weeks in Chiefs history.
At the time of his departure against Los Angeles, Rice had yet to bring in a catch.
MORE: Week 4 NFL Power Rankings | Week 4 NFL picks | Week 4 NFL picks against the spread
Rashee Rice injury update
Rice injured his leg in the first quarter of the Chiefs-Chargers game after colliding with Mahomes following an interception.
Mahomes overthrew star tight end Travis Kelce, leading to an interception for Chargers defensive back Kristian Fulton. As Fulton was returning the ball, the Kansas City quarterback went to make a tackle of the Los Angeles member.
As he lowered his shoulder, Mahomes missed Fulton and instead ran into the leg of his wide receiver. Rice immediately went down as a result.
Patrick Mahomes just threw a pick, then busted Rashee Rice’s knee in a tackle.
No, I’m not joking. pic.twitter.com/tW2QB4q3Aq
— Cody Brown Bets (@CodyBrownBets) September 29, 2024
CBS sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson reported Rice was unable to put any weight on the leg while standing on the sidelines. He was then carted off the field and taken to the locker room.
NFL HQ: Live NFL scores | Updated NFL standings | Full NFL schedule
The Chiefs later announced that he would not return to the contest.
Andy Reid did not have an update during his halftime interview, however he hinted at the severity of it, stating, “it’s not good.”
In his post-game press conference, Reid said that Rice will have an MRI on Monday, and that they are not expecting good news.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid says Rashee Rice will have an MRI on his knee tomorrow and that he’s not expecting the news they’d want. “I feel terrible for Rashee… we will hope for the best.”
— Lindsey Thiry (@LindseyThiry) September 29, 2024
Rashee Rice stats vs. Chargers
- Receptions: 0
- Receiving Yards: 0
- Receiving TDs: 0
Rashee Rice fantasy outlook
It’s not just the Chiefs. Fantasy owners of Rice are going to be hurting as well.
The Chiefs wide receiver has been the stud of the 2024 fantasy season, emerging as a true WR1 through the first portion of the season. For anyone rostering the young Kansas City member, it will be hard to replace him, with Rice joining a string of banged-up receivers.
One ripple effect in fantasy is how the injury impacts Kelce’s production. The three-time Super Bowl champion is off to his worst statistical start in his career. Mahomes has discussed how teams are specifically seeking out Kelce on defense.
If Rice is going to be sidelined for multiple games, Kelce could see a bump in targets. Andy Reid mentioned in Week 3 that Kansas City has to do a better job of getting the ball in their tight end’s hands. That theoretically should mean that Rice’s absence would lead to an uptick for Kelce, however, if defense are already locking him up with Rice on the field, it may not work in Kansas City’s favor.
When looking at potential Rice’s replacements, rookie first-round pick Xavier Worthy is in a position to get the top reps at wide receiver. Other candidates are Skyy Moore and Justin Watson. None are clear No. 1, so in the fantasy world, they’re not must-starts, but they are ones to monitor.
