Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice underwent lateral collateral ligament (LCL) surgery on his right knee Tuesday and did not have to have his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), medial collateral ligament (MCL) or meniscus repaired, according to a league source.
From my understanding, per multiple sources, Rashee Rice’s rehab, following his surgery today to repair his right LCL, is expected to be 4 months.
— Nate Taylor (@ByNateTaylor) October 8, 2024
During the Chiefs’ Week 4 win against the Los Angeles Chargers, Rice chased cornerback Kristian Fulton near Kansas City’s sideline after quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ interception. Rice’s right leg was bent backward when he ran into Mahomes, who was using his right shoulder in an attempt to tackle Fulton.
Within minutes, medical personnel carted Rice to the locker room with his hands and a towel covering his face. The Chiefs initially feared Rice tore his ACL, but more testing was done and that was determined to not be the case. Last week, the Chiefs placed him on injured reserve.
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At 5-0, Kansas City is heading into its bye week as one of two unbeaten teams in the NFL. Despite the strong start, head coach Andy Reid’s team has suffered several significant injuries on offense. In addition to Rice, the team is without wide receiver Hollywood Brown (shoulder surgery) for months and running back Isiah Pacheco (fractured fibula) for several more games.
Kansas City drafted Rice in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft, and he’s become Kansas City’s leading receiver. Since last season, Rice has led all Chiefs players in receiving yards (1,226) and receiving touchdowns (9). This season, he had been the team’s top option in the passing game through the first four games with 24 receptions, 288 receiving yards (288) and two touchdowns.
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During the offseason, Rice was involved in a multi-vehicle crash in northeast Dallas, according to police. He faces one count of aggravated assault, one count of collision involving serious bodily injury and six counts of collision involving injury. In April, Rice turned himself in after the Dallas Police Department issued an arrest warrant for him. In May, Rice was under investigation by the Dallas Police Department for allegedly punching a photographer inside a local nightclub, according to a report by WFAA-TV. No charges were pursued.
The NFL did not place Rice on the commissioner’s exempt list stemming from his arrest after the crash. Jeff Miller, NFL executive vice president of communications, public affairs and policy, said the league will continue to monitor developments regarding Rice and his legal problems as it waits to see how the legal investigation plays out. The 24-year-old receiver is set for a jury trial in June 2025 for the multi-vehicle crash, according to multiple reports.
What’s next for the Chiefs?
For the Chiefs, this news on Rice’s rehab is both positive and negative. Since Rice didn’t need his ACL or meniscus to be repaired, the positive for the Chiefs is that he should be able to fully participate in the Chiefs’ offseason program, which is expected to begin in April. The negative is that Rice, unlike veteran receiver Brown (left shoulder) and running back Pacheco (broken right leg), will not be available to return for the bulk of the Chiefs’ much-anticipated playoff run, as the franchise attempts to win an unprecedented third consecutive Super Bowl. However, if the rehab takes only four months from today, he could in theory be in play for Super Bowl LIX on Feb. 9.
Rice’s absence should further encourage the Chiefs to acquire another veteran receiver before the league’s trade deadline, which is Nov. 5. Reid and general manager Brett Veach have executed such a trade at the midway point of the season the past two years. In 2022, the Chiefs sent a compensatory 2023 third-round pick and a sixth-round pick to the New York Giants in exchange for receiver Kadarius Toney, who produced the longest punt return in Super Bowl history and scored a touchdown in Super Bowl LVII. Last season, the Chiefs re-acquired receiver Mecole Hardman and a 2025 seventh-round pick from the New York Jets for a 2025 sixth-round pick. Hardman scored the walk-off, 3-yard touchdown in Super Bowl LVIII. — Nate Taylor, Chiefs beat writer
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