A week after the Chiefs feared the worst regarding Lachie Rice's condition, the Chiefs say their top wideout could return this season and potentially avoid a torn ACL. I received a ray of hope again.
Fox Sports' Jay Glazer will determine on Sunday's pregame show whether Rice, who was carried off the field on Sept. 29 after a collision with quarterback Patrick Mahomes, will undergo season-ending surgery. The report said he will undergo “exploratory surgery” in Dallas on Tuesday. In a best-case scenario, with no additional surgery required, he will reportedly be back in action in about six weeks.
“It's basically an examination of his knee,” Glaser said. “They're going to look at his ACL, LCL, hamstring… a lot of things. If he needs surgery for something, it'll probably be done, and he'll be done by the end of the year. But if this small trial, an exploratory trial, shows they don't need to do anything, he could be back within six weeks.”
Rice will be seen by Dallas-based Cowboys team physician Dr. Dan Cooper for arthroscopic surgery. According to NFL.com.
The injury occurred after Mahomes threw an interception to cornerback Christian Fulton in the fourth quarter of the Chiefs' win over the Chargers on Sept. 29 and attempted a tackle on the return.
Instead, the helmet collided directly with Rice's knee, and the second-year wideout left the game before initial reports of a torn ACL emerged later that night.
“I mean, when I saw the replay, I didn't think I hit Lachey,” Mahomes told reporters that week. “I think that's pretty much it. I mean, I wasn't worried about myself. I was worried about his injury, and I was the one who hit him, so I didn't look like I was worried about myself.” I was hoping it wasn't as bad as it was.”
Rice had 938 receiving yards and seven touchdowns as a rookie, followed by a tumultuous offseason filled with off-the-field issues, and has now posted 288 receiving yards and two touchdowns through four games this year.
But in his absence, the Chiefs have emerged as a team that could potentially consider adding another wideout to an offense that has struggled at times and gotten an underwhelming start from tight end Travis Kelce .
But there's still a chance Rice could return and bring some normalcy to the offense, perhaps even before the regular season ends.
For now, Tuesday will be a key day in determining that timeline.
