What are Chiefs’ WR plans following Rashee Rice’s injury? What Andy Reid said Monday

Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid did not have the final word Monday that receiver Rashee Rice will miss the season with a torn ACL.

It sure seems like that’s where things are headed, though — meaning the Chiefs must figure out a way forward without their top young star.

Rice, 24, was on his way to a breakout campaign when he hurt his right knee following a Chiefs interception in KC’s 17-10 road win over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday. The 2023 second-round pick leads KC in receptions (24) and yards (288) in 2024.

Reid said Monday that Rice was still undergoing tests to ensure the diagnosis was a torn ACL, which would cost Rice the season.

So where would the Chiefs go from there?

The first look would be to the current roster, where rookie Xavier Worthy seems likely to take on a more significant role. The 2024 first-round pick had three catches for 73 yards with a touchdown against the Chargers and a two-touchdown game in KC’s opener against Baltimore.

“We’ll see how he does,” Reid said of Worthy, asked if the rookie could take on more offensively. “We’ve got guys here that have experience of playing in the game. It’s not that he’s the only one. He doesn’t have to be the only one. We’ve got a good group of guys there that we can utilize. We normally spread the ball around, and that’s what we’ll continue to strive to do.”

Veteran Justin Watson ranks second among Chiefs receivers with six catches for 87 yards. Another option is JuJu Smith-Schuster, who signed late with KC after getting released by New England.

Smith-Schuster has two catches for 17 yards, though he’s played at least 52% of the team’s offensive snaps for the past two games.

“He’s played quite a bit up to this point, and I think he’s in good shape. I don’t think that’s a problem,” Reid said. “Pat (Mahomes) has a lot of trust in him. He’s still a good football player.”

The Chiefs also have a pair of receivers on the active roster who haven’t recorded a 2024 reception.

That includes Mecole Hardman, who returns punts and kickoffs, and third-year player Skyy Moore, who has played 17% of the Chiefs’ offensive snaps.

Moore, a 2022 second-round pick, dropped a critical second-quarter pass from Mahomes on Sunday that could’ve helped the Chiefs convert on third-and-1.

“Skyy’s a good football player. He’s given us some good downs,” Reid said. “He had the one drop yesterday on the third down that he knows he has to make, but he’s given us some good downs over these four games. We’re OK there.”

Reid didn’t reveal whether the Chiefs would elevate a receiver from the practice squad following Rice’s injury, saying he was meeting with general manager Brett Veach to discuss things later Monday. Some candidates there include Justyn Ross, Nikko Remigio and Montrell Washington.

A final alternative? That would be pursuing outside help in a trade ahead of the league’s Nov. 5 deadline.

The Chiefs have gone this route before with mixed results. KC traded midseason for Kadarius Toney two years ago and brought back Hardman in October last season.

Reid said the potential impact of a player acquired via trade would “depend on who the guy is.” One obvious advantage an incoming player could have would be previous experience with the Chiefs’ playbook.

“It takes somebody a little bit of time to get himself involved and get the terminology down,” Reid said. “But it’s a lot easier now than it is during training camp, when they have to learn a gazillion plays. Here, they just have the game week (plays) to learn.

‘’But getting on the same page with the quarterback and the timing and all that, that’s a bigger issue normally.”