Emotional Rashee Rice Breaks Silence on Season-Ending Surgery as Chiefs’ First Lady Offers Prayers

“I felt like s** that I hit Rashee,” Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes laments every time someone asks him about his team’s top WR’s injury. During the team’s Week 4 game against the LA Chargers—which the Chiefs eventually won 17-10—Mahomes collided with Rice. The QB had just thrown an interception to Chargers cornerback Kristian Fulton, and was on his way to chase him down, along with Rice. As the WR caught hold of Fulton first, snatching the ball out of his hands, Mahomes also dived in, hitting Rice above the right knee.

He was in a lot of pain, and at one point, it was suspected that he had an ACL injury. He was immediately escorted out to the locker room with his hands and face covered with a towel. Put on the injury reserve list on October 4—assuming it was a season-ending ACL tear—the team was still hopeful. The team’s head coach, Andy Reid, had informed that they’d wait for the swelling to subside for final confirmation as if waiting for a sliver of hope. However, come Tuesday, the coach’s nightmares have turned into reality…

Fortunately, the ACL tear was out of the question but the damage was nonetheless substantial. In fact, Ian Rapoport reported that he underwent successful surgery to address a lateral collateral ligament (LCL) injury to his right knee and had his hamstring tendon repaired. The blessing in disguise was that the 24-year-old wideout didn’t have any damage to ACL, MCL, or meniscus.

The WR just broke his silence, and unfortunately, he will be unable to return to his squad this season. The damage is severe, and it might take months for him to heal fully. The caption read,

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 🙏🏾 small thing to a GIANT.”

At 5-0, Andy Reid and Co. will look forward to the routine development, that is, acquiring a veteran WR before the trade deadline expires on Nov 5 as has been the case in 2022 and 2023 as well. As per an October 4 update by The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, these are the names being floated as Rice’s replacement: Cleveland Browns’ Amari Cooper, Cincinnati Bengals’ Tee Higgins, Jacksonville Jaguars’ Christian Kirk, Tennessee Titans’ DeAndre Hopkins, and Pittsburgh Steelers’ George Pickens.

Theoretically, Rice, who led all Chiefs players in receiving yards (1,226) and receiving touchdowns (9) last season and is still currently leading the team with 28 catches for 288 yards and two TDs so far, could still attempt to join the Chiefs for Super Bowl LIX on Feb. 9, considering rehab won’t drag longer than four months. Stanford Medicine reports that such injuries usually take somewhere between 3-12 weeks to heal, depending on the severity.

The downside is, of course, not having their best WR in their much-anticipated playoff run as the Chiefs vies to win an unprecedented third consecutive Super Bowl. Not to get ahead of ourselves, let’s not forget the fact that his aggravated assault charges owing to the Dallas multi-car crash and later fleeing from the scene could influence whether he gets to start the next season while not being suspended from the league. The latest we have heard from Roger Goodell on how the league perceives Rice’s civil case was from before the Chiefs’ season opener when he was not placed on the commissioner’s exempt list until the legal process was complete, a trial that awaits Rice in June of 2025.

Fans, other NFL players, and experts have sent their prayers to the athlete, wishing him a speedy recovery. Not only that, but the first lady of the Kansas City Chiefs has commented on the post, sharing her thoughts on the injury.

Tavia Hunt prays for Rashee Rice’s swift recovery

Yes, you heard that right. The owner’s wife reacted to the post, stating that she was praying for Rashee Rice. Not only is Tavia Hunt praying, but she provided some fantastic inspiration for the WR by stating that God had tremendous things for him in the future. Hunt even said that she is thinking about the WR’s huge sweet comeback in the coming season.

Now that Rashee Rice is gone, the team desperately needs a solid wide receiver to replace him. This suggests that the Chiefs are more likely to be looking for a player similar to Tyreek Hill. Some rumors regarding this have circulated in the market, but the odds of it happening are slim because no official leak has been released.

What are your opinions on Rashee Rice’s potential departure from the NFL season 2024? Do you believe he could have had a significant impact in the season for Chiefs?