The Chiefs found themselves in deep trouble as they went down 10 points within the first quarter in Los Angeles. Facing off against the Chargers this week, the Chiefs were hoping to continue on their perfect start to the season. However, they faced the worst possible start this week as wide receiver Rashee Rice got carted off the field.

Holding his right knee on the sidelines, Rice found himself injured during multiple turnovers. When Patrick Mahomes threw an interception towards Chargers CB Kristian Fulton, Rice managed to track him down for a fumble. But while Rice’s right foot was grounded on the field, Mahomes made strong contact with it. This led to his knee bending unusually, thereby leading to an injury.

Amid those few minutes of horror plays, the Chargers managed to regain possession as the football went out of bounds. Well, they didn’t hold back on that opportunity as the Chargers scored a field goal, thereby racing to a 10-point lead. When the halftime whistle blew, head coach Andy Reid offered us an update on Rice’s knee injury, saying, “It’s not good.” Well, the worst may happen, as there are fears that Rice may have torn his ACL. This would be a massive blow to the Chiefs’ ambitions this season, as Rashee was turning out to be Mahomes go to man.

Before this clash, Rice had already accumulated 24 catches for 288 yards, alongside two touchdowns. Those contributions were highly critical as Mahomes bestie, Travis Kelce, has struggled to get going this season. His eight catches for 69 yards after three games aren’t the numbers the Chiefs were looking at. But who could replace Rice in the lineup? Well, there is rookie WR Xavier Worthy, who has already racked up six catches for 81 yards and a rushing TD in the opening week against the Ravens.

Rashee Rice’s thunderous start to the season amid offensive struggles in Kansas City

With Marquise Brown and RB Isiah Pacheco out with major injuries, it all came down to Rashee Rice in Kansas City. The Chiefs desperately needed a player to step up and steady the ship as Travis Kelce’s struggles continued after three games into the season. With all expectations levied upon him, the 24-year-old has more than delivered. Entering this clash, Rice ranks third in the NFL in terms of catches taken (24) while staying in fourth for receiving yards at 288.

Praising his impact early into the season, Mahomes stated, “He’s a complete receiver. He’s getting better and better, and he can do it all. I think people see the short stuff, and they get enamored by it because it’s so special when he catches the ball, but he can catch the ball down the field. He can block, he can do whatever.” Although Rice is enjoying a great start to the season, he is in the middle of a trial, citing a car crash in Dallas. But those off-field antics haven’t affected Rice’s production this season.

Opening up on his start, the Chiefs WR expressed, “I’m having a lot more fun, and we’ve got a lot of guys on the field that are. Trav taking eyes off but also Worthy, and we’ve got a lot of weapons on the field, so it’s a lot more fun that way.” Even though it was fun watching Rice taking on opposition defenses week in and week out. We may have to put a break on those expectations as the Chiefs WR faces a potentially lengthy time off the field after a knee injury.