Rashee Rice is set to miss the rest of the NFL season, despite the Chiefs hoping he has escaped a torn his ACL after a collision with Patrick Mahomes last weekend.
There were major fears for Rice when a mistimed Mahomes challenge, after throwing an interception, saw him collide with Rice’s leg in last weekend’s 17-10 win over the Chargers in Los Angeles.
Rice is now reportedly set to have procedure Tuesday to determine the true extent of his injury amid growing optimism he has avoided major damage.
NFL insider Adam Schefter said on Monday night, around an hour before his Chiefs team played New Orleans Saints at Arrowhead Stadium: ‘After consulting today with doctors, there’s ‘a lot of optimism’ that standout WR Rashee Rice didn’t suffer a knee injury as significant as first believed, per source.
‘Rice will be put under anesthesia Tuesday to determine the extent of his injury, but the belief now is it could be a ‘much shorter’ recovery timeline than originally thought.
It’s unlikely that Chiefs WR Rashee Rice will play again this season, but doctors will not know for sure until they perform surgery Tuesday morning, per source.’
Before Rice’s injury, he had started solidifying himself at the true No 1 wide receiver for the Chiefs.
Through a little over three games, Rice had 24 catches for 288 yards and two touchdowns.
Now, the Chiefs are reportedly looking to trade for a receiver before the deadline to fill the void left by Rice.
Among the Chiefs options is not disgruntled Raiders receiver Davante Adams, as the teams are both in the AFC West.
Rice has been under a microscope this season after the NFL did not discipline him after a March hit and run incident where he drove speeds of as high as 119 miles per hour on a Dallas highway.
His friend and SMU wide receiver Teddy Knox was driving a Corvette traveling 116 miles per hour less than eight seconds before the crash.
Rice, Knox and three others were seen leaving the speeding vehicles and leaving the crash site without making sure anyone else involved in the collision was alright.
Rice eventually turned himself into police, while Knox transferred out of SMU and has not found a landing spot.
