The Kansas City Chiefs lost one of their most important weapons last season on a fluke play.
Chiefs wideout Rashee Rice was rolled up on ... by his quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, during a Week 4 game, tearing his ACL. And the timeline for his return is still uncertain.
Pro Football Focus' Ryan Smith thinks the Chiefs will be "cautious" with Rice's recovery.
"With OTAs underway, the Chiefs are expected to take a cautious approach to Rice’s recovery," Smith writes. "If all progresses smoothly, he should be ramped up during training camp and could be ready to return at full strength by Week 1."
The Kansas City offense clearly struggled after Rice's injury, and so did Mahomes' passing stats, and Smith outlined why.
"At the time (of his injury), Rice led the NFL with 24 receptions and ranked second with 288 receiving yards, a breakout start that was abruptly cut short," Smith writes. "The Chiefs still reached the Super Bowl, but their offense clearly lacked the same punch without Rice. As a unit, they finished just 15th in PFF receiving grade (75.3) and struggled to generate the explosive plays that have defined their identity in recent years."
If Rice isn't fully healthy and ready to go for the Week 1 road matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sept. 5, they could utilize rookie wideout Jalen Royals, whom the team drafted in the fourth round earlier this month.
Royals, like Rice, is considered a speedster, but lacks the experience and chemistry with Mahomes that Rice has. So we could see the offense sputter again unless Royals catches on quickly.