Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice will sit out Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers because of a hamstring injury, the team announced after Friday’s practice. Rice, 26, missed practice Wednesday and Thursday before the team ruled him out after Friday’s practice.
Rice sustained the hamstring injury in Week 4 against the Raiders, grabbing his hamstring after pulling up during a catch-and-run just five plays into the contest, according to Yahoo Sports. Before the injury, he had put together a solid start to the season with 13 catches for 190 yards through three weeks.
Rice’s Hamstring Injury Status
The Chiefs listed Rice as out for the Chargers matchup, confirming the designation after Friday’s session. Rice missed practice Wednesday and Thursday, the first week of practice after the team’s bye, with Friday’s session determining whether he could play.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid offered an upbeat assessment of Rice’s recovery pace even though the receiver won’t play Sunday. “You guys saw him. He’s out there, wanting to jump in on everything.
He’s a pretty fast healer,” Reid said. He added that Rice has been eager to return to the field rather than sit in meetings, saying, “He was excited to be out there, to be back with the guys, you know, on the field instead of the meeting room.”
No specific return timeline has been given for Rice beyond Reid’s comments about his healing pace.
What’s Next
s absence leaves Xavier Worthy as the Chiefs’ top healthy receiving option. Kansas City’s depth at the position has thinned considerably after Tyquan Thornton landed on injured reserve in Week 4 with a dislocated ankle that required surgery, according to Yahoo Sports. With both Rice and Thornton sidelined, the Chiefs will turn to a receiving group that includes Nikko Remigio, Jalen Royals and Cyrus Allen on the active roster, with Justin Watson, Omari Evans and Andrew Armstrong available to be elevated from the practice squad, per the Houston Chronicle. Reid said the backup receivers are excited about the chance to play if called upon, though no specific plan for distributing targets among them has been announced.
Season Context And Offensive Adjustments
With the receiving corps depleted, quarterback Patrick Mahomes will lean on tight end Travis Kelce and running back Kenneth Walker III as his primary targets, according to Yahoo Sports and Sporting News. Kansas City’s offense has already leaned heavily on the ground game led by Walker this season, a trend likely to continue with Rice out.
Through the first three weeks, Rice led the Chiefs’ receivers with 13 catches for 190 yards before the hamstring injury.
What’s Next
The Chiefs face the Chargers on Sunday in Week 6. Kansas City’s receiving corps will remain thin until Rice or Thornton is cleared to return.
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