Rashee Rice's social media activity suggests Chiefs star WR may have avoided serious injury
By Lior Lampert
What's holding up Rashee Rice's injury diagnosis? It's been days since the Kansas City Chiefs star wide receiver was carted off the field in Week 4. Yet, since then, there hasn't been an official update about the extent of his ailment.
Initial reporting suggested there's internal fear in Kansas City that Rice suffered a season-ending torn ACL. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid surely didn't sound very optimistic about the matter -- to put it gently. Neither did quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who admittedly stated he "knew it wasn't good." Still, there's been no formal brief from the team on the talented wideout's health as of this writing. Can that be seen as a good or bad thing?
If Rice's latest social media activity is any indication, the lack of information could indicate the issue isn't as serious as originally believed.
Rashee Rice's Instagram activity suggests Chiefs star WR potentially avoided devastating injury news
Rice shared a photo on his Instagram story, referencing his divine toughness. Perhaps this signifies he somehow dodged a catastrophic injury. Considering he posted the picture without additional context, it's hard to decipher the exact meaning. Nevertheless, it's the latest sign that the 24-year-old possibly avoided disaster.
No news can typically be seen as good news. The fact that there's been no word from the Chiefs about Rice's status may be a positive development. Alternatively, it can imply that it's more pressing than Kansas City imagined, hence him getting multiple medical opinions.
We're no doctors, so we'll defer to the professionals here. Dr. Edwin Porras, a physical therapist and med analyst for Fantasy Points, believes Rice "likely avoided an ACL tear." He cited how on-field testing is "Like ... 98 percent accurate." So, if the imaging didn't reveal a rupture, the second-year pro presumably evaded the worst.
Does this mean Rice has a shot to return at some point during the 2024 NFL campaign? That remains unclear until the Chiefs publically address the subject. But based on reading the tea leaves, there's hope Kansas City's top pass-catcher will be back eventually this year. Regardless of whether it's the regular season or playoffs, the team would welcome any contribution he has to offer, given the early pessimism.