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Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice had an excellent rookie campaign and was off to a great start in Year 2, but unfortunately, his regular-season campaign ended in Week 4 after taking a hit to the knee from quarterback Patrick Mahomes during an interception return.
The SMU product was quickly ruled out for the year, but many are surely wondering if he could return for the playoffs. The Chiefs are looking to become the first team to ever win three consecutive Super Bowls, and Rice's potential return could exponentially help their chances.
Is Rice out of the season, or will he play in the postseason? Let's dive in.
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Is Rashee Rice Out For The Season?
While the Chiefs and fans held out hope for Rice to recover in time for the playoffs, he is not expected to return until the 2025 campaign. On Monday, head coach Andy Reid said Rice nor Skyy Moore are in the team's postseason plans. Rice had surgery on his ACL, MCL, and meniscus, so this is not super surprising.
I asked Andy Reid about the potential return of Chiefs players on injured reserve during the playoffs.
He says there's a chance for Mecole Hardman, "potentially" for Jaylen Watson. No return plan for Rashee Rice or Skyy Moore.
— Matt Derrick (@mattderrick) December 30, 2024
The 24-year-old's season ends with 24 receptions on 29 targets for 288 yards and two scores in less than four full games. He looked the part of Mahomes' clear No. 1 wide receiver to begin the year, so his future outlook is bright if he can work his way back from the devastating knee injuries.
Rashee Rice 2025 Fantasy Football Outlook
Last offseason, Rice got into off-the-field trouble after injuring multiple people in a reckless driving incident. It remains to be seen if he'll face punishment from the league heading into next season, but it's not a great idea to speculate. That said, we won't factor that into his 2025 outlook.
If Rice is ready for Week 1 of next year and does not face a suspension, he has clear top-5 WR upside in PPR formats. Tight end Travis Kelce is on the decline, and rookie Xavier Worthy does not profile as an elite target-earner. Rice should step into the intermediate catch-and-run role that Kelce has occupied over the last half-decade.
RASHEE RICE FOR THE TOUCHDOWN pic.twitter.com/NFhBYkvOIE
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) September 15, 2024
It will be interesting to see where Rice's ADP settles around draft time next year. Needless to say, his legal and injury situation will be worth monitoring.
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