Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice was carted off the field with a knee injury early in Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Rice suffered the injury on the chase after quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw an interception to Chargers cornerback Kristian Fulton. Rice located Fulton on the interception return and hit the ball from behind. At the same time, Mahomes popped up in front of Fulton to make a tackle.

Rice’s right foot landed in the turf and Mahomes touched Rice’s leg in his attempted tackle. Rice’s knee bent awkwardly in the collision.

The loose ball bounced out of bounds and the Chargers retained possession. They converted the loss of possession into a field goal and extended their early lead to 10-0.

After the game, Rice limped to the bench with the help of two trainers and struggled to put any weight on his right leg on the sideline. After speaking with a trainer, Rice left the field lying on a cart. He held his head in his hands as he was carried off the field.

The Chiefs quickly ruled out Rice with a knee injury. The extent of the knee injury was initially unclear.

Another blow to Kansas City’s offense

A serious injury would be a major blow to Kansas City’s offense. As a second-year receiver, Rice has emerged as a clear No. 1 target for Mahomes in 2024. He entered Sunday having had 24 catches for 288 yards and two touchdowns in Kansas City’s 3-0 start.

Kansas City’s next leading receiver in three weeks was rookie Xavier Worthy with six catches for 81 yards and a touchdown. Perennial Pro Bowl tight end Travis Kelce entered Sunday with just eight catches for 69 yards in three games and was about to turn 35 years old.

The injury is the second significant injury to a top Chiefs player this season. Running back Isiah Pacheco required surgery for a broken fibula he suffered in Week 2. He is on injured reserve and is expected to be out for at least six to eight weeks.