The Kansas City Chiefs have made the call on wide receiver Rashee Rice.
Rice sought multiple opinions this week after suffering a knee injury trying to make a tackle on a Patrick Mahomes interception when the Chiefs’ quarterback collided with the star receiver along the sideline, and on Thursday the team placed Rice on injured reserve.
Following Thursday’s designation, Rice will miss Kansas City’s next four games.
Prior to getting injured, Rice had become a focal point of Kansas City’s offense, catching 24 passes for 288 yards and a pair of touchdowns through just over three games of action.
Losing Rice is a significant blow to an offense that’s already shorthanded with running back Isaiah Pacheco on injured reserve and wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown set to miss at least the entire regular season.
“Losing Rice hurts them bad,” former NFL scout John Middlekauff and current host of the 3 and out podcast tells me. “He’s so important for them.
“Rice has become a safety net for Mahomes. Plus, he’s so good with the ball in his hands. Him and Pacheco are their two best offensive weapons this year and they’re both gone. Andy is elite, but man, that’s hard to overcome.”
What are Kansas City Chiefs’ Options at Wide Receiver?
The Chiefs will likely look to add a marquee receiver ahead of the NFL trade deadline, especially given Rice’s impact as well as Kansas City’s rare opportunity to make a run at a third consecutive Vince Lombardi Trophy, for the first time in league history.
Receivers such as the Cleveland Browns’ Amari Cooper, Jacksonville Jaguars’ Christian Kirk, and New York Giants’ Darius Slayton could be potential scheme fits currently playing on affordable contracts.
The NFL trade deadline is set for Tuesday, November 5.
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