Rice is expected to require four months to make a full recovery from the season-ending surgery he underwent Tuesday to repair the LCL in his right knee, Nate Taylor of The Athletic reports. Rice also had his hamstring tendon repaired as part of the surgery, but no damage to his MCL, ACL or meniscus in his right knee was detected before he went under the knife. The lack of additional structural damage to Rice's knee should allow him to make a full recovery in advance of the Chiefs' offseason program in the spring, barring any setbacks during the rehab process. While Rice thus appears set to enter the 2025 season 100 percent healthy, he could still be at risk of a suspension due to the criminal charges he's facing for his involvement in a hit-and-run car crash in Dallas that occurred last March. With a 24-288-2 receiving line on 29 targets through the Chiefs' first three games, Rice had emerged as the team's clear top option in the passing game in his sophomore campaign before suffering the season-ending knee injury early in a Week 4 win over the Chargers.
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IR - Knee - Surgery Expected Return: 2025-02-10Latest Rashee Rice news
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Rice is expected to require four months to make a full recovery from the season-ending surgery he underwent Tuesday to repair the LCL in his right knee, Nate Taylor of The Athletic reports. Rice also had his hamstring tendon repaired as part of the surgery, but no damage to his MCL, ACL or meniscus in his right knee was detected before he went under the knife. The lack of additional structural damage to Rice's knee should allow him to make a full recovery in advance of the Chiefs' offseason program in the spring, barring any setbacks during the rehab process. While Rice thus appears set to enter the 2025 season 100 percent healthy, he could still be at risk of a suspension due to the criminal charges he's facing for his involvement in a hit-and-run car crash in Dallas that occurred last March. With a 24-288-2 receiving line on 29 targets through the Chiefs' first three games, Rice had emerged as the team's clear top option in the passing game in his sophomore campaign before suffering the season-ending knee injury early in a Week 4 win over the Chargers.
Rice is expected to miss the remainder of the season after he underwent successful surgery Tuesday to address an LCL injury to his right knee, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. NFL reporter Jordan Schultz adds that Rice also had his hamstring tendon repaired as part of the surgery, but on a fortunate note, the wide receiver didn't have any damage to ACL, MCL or meniscus. While Rice will miss the remainder of the 2024 campaign as a result of the surgery, the lack of additional structural damage to his knee bodes well for the 24-year-old wideout's chances of being ready to go for the start of the 2025 season, if not training camp or the Chiefs' offseason program. Even if he's back to full health for 2025, however, Rice could still have to serve a suspension due to the criminal charges he's facing for his involvement in a hit-and-run car crash in Dallas that occurred last March.
Rice will require surgery to repair his right LCL, but there's a chance that's the only ligament in that knee that needs to be repaired, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Meanwhile, Adam Schefter of ESPN mimicked Rapoport's report, while noting there's "optimism" that his knee issue isn't as significant as initially believed. Rice's procedure Tuesday ultimately will determine the precise nature of the injury and the likely corresponding recovery timeline. It remains unclear if Rice has any chance to return to action this season, whether it could be by Week 18 or even during the playoffs, but he currently must reside on injured reserve until at least Nov. 10.
Rice (knee) will have a procedure on his knee early next week to determine the severity of his injury and next steps, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Rapoport suggests that there is a "(small) glimmer of hope" about the receiver's outlook, which doesn't offer much clarity except to indicate that Rice isn't yet being ruled out for the season. The 24-year-old has already been placed on injured reserve, so regardless of the outcome of next week's procedure, the earliest he could return to game action is Nov. 10 versus Denver. With Rice out for at least four games, Xavier Worthy, Justin Watson and JuJu Smith-Schuster figure to lead Kansas City's receiving corps for the foreseeable future.
The Chiefs placed Rice (knee) on injured reserve Thursday. Rice is slated to undergo testing on his right knee next week, after which the Chiefs will have a better idea regarding the severity of the injury he suffered in this past Sunday's win over the Chargers. At the very least, Rice's move to IR ensures that the wideout will miss at least the team's next four games. In Rice's absence, tight end Travis Kelce could take on a heightened role in the passing attack on short and intermediate routes, while wideouts Xavier Worthy, Justin Watson, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Skyy Moore are all candidates to see their involvement on offense expand.
Head coach Andy Reid said Thursday that Rice is slated to undergo further testing on his right knee next week, Matt McMullen of the Chiefs' official site reports. Per Adam Teicher of ESPN.com, the Chiefs are waiting for the swelling in Rice's knee to be reduced before the wideout's upcoming tests are done. The team already has confirmed that Rice won't be available for Monday's game against the Saints, according to Teicher, but beyond that, there's no definitive timeline for his recovery. Initial concerns were that Rice may have torn his right ACL, but for now the team is in "wait and see" mode according to Reid, Sam McDowell of The Kansas City Star reports. For any length of time Rice misses, Xavier Worthy, Justin Watson and JuJu Smith-Schuster are the top candidates to fill the void created by his absence.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said Wednesday that he hopes Rice (knee) can return soon, Matt Derrick of ChiefsDigest.com reports. Early concerns about an ACL tear have given way to a more optimistic tone, although Rice has already been ruled out for Week 5 against the Saints and seems likely to miss additional time. He's still in the process of getting multiple doctors' opinions on the injury to figure out a recovery and rehab plan, which means he isn't totally out of the woods in terms of undergoing surgery and/or requiring a long-term absence. Mahomes mentioned wideouts Justin Watson and JuJu Smith-Schuster and tight end Noah Gray as candidates to take on larger roles while Rice is unavailable.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Monday that Rice (knee) will not be available Week 5 against the Saints and that tests have not yet confirmed the severity of his injury, Nate Taylor of The Athletic reports. Kansas City reportedly fears that Rice suffered a torn ACL during Sunday's 17-10 win over the Chargers, but the standout receiver's injury severity hasn't yet been fully confirmed. Rice was carted off the field early during Sunday's win over Los Angeles as the result of quarterback Patrick Mahomes colliding with his knee, with both players attempting to make a tackle in the aftermath of an interception. A severe injury for Rice would constitute a brutal blow for an offense already thin at the skill positions, especially with fellow starting wideout Hollywood Brown (shoulder) not expected to return until the postseason, at the earliest, and starting running back Isiah Pacheco (fibula) recovering from surgery and not expected to come off IR until at least late October. Travis Kelce and rookie first-rounder Xavier Worthy figure to act as the centerpieces of Kansas City's passing game as long as Rice is sidelined, while Justin Watson, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Skyy Moore and Mecole Hardman also stand to see their roles grow.
Rice (knee) is feared to have torn his ACL in Sunday's 17-10 win over the Chargers, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. Rice will have an MRI on his knee Monday to confirm his injury diagnosis, but if fears of a torn ACL prove true, the injury would be season-ending. The Chiefs already have had injuries to two key skill players on offense, as fellow wide receiver Hollywood Brown (shoulder) is unlikely to play in the regular season and running back Isiah Pacheco (fibula) is in the early portion of a recovery timeline that's expected to stretch 6-to-8 weeks. Rookie first-round pick Xavier Worthy could be asked to step into a larger role in Rice's absence, with Justin Watson, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Skyy Moore and Mecole Hardman also on hand in Kansas City's wide receiver room.