On Sunday afternoon, a late 2-yard touchdown run by Samaje Perine helped the Chiefs prevail over the Chargers. While that result looked good for Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes, the outcome of an event much earlier in the game could be severely damaging to their Super Bowl hopes.
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In the first quarter, Kansas City wide receiver Rashee Rice was carted to the locker room after suffering a knee injury. This turn of events took place as the wideout was chasing down Chargers’ defender Kristian Fulton. Mahomes, who was trying to tackle Fulton, unfortunately, ended up slamming into Rice’s right leg.
Dr. Jesse Morse, a sports medicine physician, described it as a freak accident. He explained that Mahomes basically drove his helmet and shoulder into Rice’s knee. The angle of this action from a medial approach spells “nightmare,” as it caused significant compression on the ACL, meniscus, PCL, bone, and lateral compartment.
“It was just on a fluky play, and it was friendly fire… Mahomes actually ends up trying to knock a guy out in front of him, but unfortunately, the guy he hit was his best wide receiver, Rashee Rice.”
In a video detailing Rice’s injury, Morse stated that he was unsure about what the receiver’s diagnosis will be. However, he wasn’t too optimistic about Rice returning anytime soon. Morse was “preparing for the worst and hoping for the best.”
“You can’t predict [the injury] because it wasn’t a football play… best-case scenario, this is a two-to-three week bad bone bruise [or] knee sprain [where Rice] got ‘oh my God’ lucky. But I am preparing for fracture, ACL tear… or some crazy combination of those things, which would be season-ending.”
Meanwhile, after struggling in Kansas City’s first three games, veteran tight end Travis Kelce got going on Sunday after Rice departed. The 35-year-old hauled in seven passes for 89 yards against the Chargers.
Chiefs fans had to be happy to see that when push comes to shove, Kelce can still function as Mahomes’ top weapon. But if Rice’s absence is prolonged, Kansas City will need other receivers, such as Xavier Worthy, to fill his void. After all, Marquise “Hollywood” Brown is still recovering.
The Chiefs will have to rely on experience and on Worthy’s agility to bring in some more wins. This theory will be tested next week as Kansas City rounds out Week 5 action on Monday Night Football against the New Orleans Saints. It will be Andy Reid’s first chance to discover who can step into Rice’s spot.
