The Kansas City Chiefs dealt with more injury issues this week than the public initially realized, as quarterback Patrick Mahomes‘ knee blowout dominated headlines for multiple days.
But wide receiver Rashee Rice, one of Mahomes’ top targets in the pass game, also sustained a serious injury in the Week 15 loss against the Los Angeles Chargers that cost Kansas City a chance at what would have been its 11th consecutive trip to the playoffs.
“Andy Reid says WR Rashee Rive reported concussion symptoms on Monday and entered the league’s protocol,” Matt Derrick of Chiefs Digest reported to X Wednesday, December 17.
The Chiefs travel to face the Tennessee Titans (2-11) in Nashville on Sunday, and Rice’s status for that contest is now uncertain. However, given the quality of the opponent and the lack of stakes for Kansas City at this point in the year, the Chiefs have no real incentive to play Rice unless he is 100 percent healthy by Sunday morning.
Rashee Rice Among Best NFL Wide Receivers on Game-by-Game Basis
GettyKansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice.
Rice missed six games to begin the season due to an NFL suspension linked to off-field misconduct. In the eight contests he has suited up, the third-year pro tallied 53 catches for 571 yards and five scores.
An explosive playmaker, Rice caught 79 passes for 938 yards and seven TDs in his rookie campaign back in 2023. His averages in each of the past two seasons extrapolate out to over 100 receptions and more than 1,000 yards across a full 17-game campaign, but he hasn’t been able to stay on the field for various reasons and has therefore fallen short of those marks.
Rice missed 13 contests in 2024 due to an LCL tear, finishing the year with 24 catches for 288 yards and two touchdowns.
Rashee Rice Faces Pivotal Season in 2026
GettyKansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice (left) and quarterback Patrick Mahomes (right).
The former second-round pick will play the final season of his four-year, $6.5 million rookie contract in 2026, at which point the Chiefs will have an interesting decision to make.
If Rice can stay healthy and out of trouble next season, and also play something close to a full year, he is the kind of talent Mahomes needs on a roster that could lose tight end Travis Kelce to retirement as early as the coming offseason. However, Rice’s price is also going to skyrocket in 2027, when he will play his fifth NFL campaign at just 27 years old.
Kansas City must assess the cost-benefit equation that Rice represents, factoring in injury history and off-field conduct to decide whether betting big money on him is a risk worth taking.
All players, even the best ones, typically see their talent/cost value drop (if not plummet) on a second contract because while their career arcs may still be traveling on an upward trajectory, they represent a significantly larger percentage of the team’s available salary cap.
A quarterback like Mahomes, who wins MVPs and leads his team to multiple Super Bowl wins at the game’s most important position, is the exception that proves the rule. But a potentially top-tier receiver like Rice with a moderately unreliable history is a different story.
Rice doesn’t need to rush back, in fact doing so would be irresponsible all around considering his current health issue is a concussion. He doesn’t even need to play again for the rest of this now lost season to guarantee himself a lucrative future in Kansas City.
However, next season will be a pivotal one for Rice and will likely determine his career trajectory for years to come.
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