Chiefs' Rashee Rice Out vs. Saints in NFL Week 5 After Suffering Knee Injury

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice will not play in the Week 5 matchup with the New Orleans Saints, head coach Andy Reid confirmed on Monday.

"I don't have a definite [diagonals] right now," Reid said, per Nate Taylor of The Athletic. "He's not going to be available next week."

Despite ruling him out for the upcoming game, the extent of the injury is unclear, per ESPN's Adam Schefter:

Schefter previously reported that Rice is "feared" to have suffered a torn ACL during the Chiefs' 17-10 win over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.

The 24-year-old was inadvertently hit by Patrick Mahomes on a tackle attempt after an interception in the first quarter. He headed to the bench with trainers before he was eventually carted off the field.

Reid said that Rice's injury was "not good" after the game.

The 2023 second-round pick appeared to be on the verge of a breakout season before the injury. He hauled in 24 receptions for 288 yards through Kansas City's first three games of the year, finding the end zone twice.

With Marquise Brown reportedly expected to miss the rest of the regular season due to a shoulder injury, the Chiefs are thin at the wide receiver position.

Reid didn't rule out a potential trade for an external option, especially for a player who has experience in his system.

"It depends on who the guy is," he said, per A to Z Sports' Charles Goldman. "If he's got experience in the offense it's not too bad."

It's not uncommon for the Chiefs, as they traded for former wide receiver Mecole Hardman in a deal with the New York Jets just before Week 7 of the 2023 season. He contributed throughout Kansas City's playoff run and caught the game-winning touchdown in its Super Bowl 58 victory.

With Rice out, expect Xavier Worthy and Justin Watson to replace his production. Mahomes will also likely lean on tight ends such as Travis Kelce and Noah Gray to keep the Chiefs' passing attack afloat.