The Kansas City Chiefs got off to a rough start against the in-division rival Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, falling behind 10-0 in the first quarter and losing a key player to injury.
Wide receiver Rashee Rice went down and was carted off the field after he tried to chase down quarterback Patrick Mahomes' early interception along the sideline at Sofi Stadium.
Here’s the play that Chiefs WR Rashee Rice was injured on. Not good looking at all.
— Arye Pulli (@AryePulli) September 29, 2024
Hope he’s alright. He’s being carted to the locker room. https://t.co/8uHJ3UUxNI pic.twitter.com/M0RMTRLJlv
After taking a look at the replay, it appears his teammate Mahomes went barreling into his right leg and forced his knee to hyperextend.
When asked by CBS Sports' sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson about the severity of Rice's injury, Kansas City head coach Andy Reid replied, "It's not good."
Early Rashee Rice injury update is terrible news for Chiefs
Despite losing Rice to a wicked injury and the extremely uncharacteristic start to the game, Kansas City just seems to be able to rebound with whoever else steps up in a player's absence.
Mahomes only needed one play to absolutely launch a rainbow heat-seeking missile to rookie wide out Xavier Worthy for a 54-yard score to narrow Los Angeles' lead to 10-7.
MAHOMES TO WORTHY FOR A 54-YARD TD.
— NFL (@NFL) September 29, 2024
📺: #KCvsLAC on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/ZAYGWXNr1V
The fastest man in NFL Combine history, Worthy was drafted 28th overall by Kansas City after it traded up with the Buffalo Bills to snag the Texas product.
Worthy had only logged seven receptions in his rookie campaign including that catch and score. He announced himself to the league with an end-around rushing score with his first touch of the football in Kansas City's season-opening win against the Baltimore Ravens.
XAVIER WORTHY, WELCOME TO THE NFL 🤯
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 6, 2024
1ST-CAREER TD.
(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/AnHYFVR2OB
So, maybe take a deep breath, Kansas City fans. You're back-to-back Super Bowl champs for a reason and unless the wheels start coming off soon, there doesn't seem to be too much reason to panic (yet).
There's always the worst-case scenario in which Rice is done for the season, tight end Travis Kelce remains a shell of himself and Worthy's flashes of brilliance fizzle out going forward. But don't dwell on that too much, it's not good for your mental health.
UPDATE (8:04 p.m. ET): According to multiple reports, the Chiefs are fearing that Rice suffered a torn ACL. Rice will undergo an MRI on Monday to determine the injury and severity.