Rashee Rice has been the Kansas City Chiefs’ leading wide receiver since returning from a suspension in Week 7 of the 2025 NFL season. Now, they will be without him in Week 17 when they take on the Denver Broncos. Here’s what happened to the star wide receiver following their most recent game.
Rashee Rice Injury Update
Rice played in the Chiefs’ Week 15 game against the Los Angeles Chargers, but reportedly came away from the contest with a concussion. He apparently began experiencing symptoms of a potential head injury in the day following the game, before being diagnosed and entering the NFL’s official protocols.
He was unable to practice leading up to Week 16 and did not play against the Tennessee Titans. The Chiefs were officially eliminated from the playoff race after their loss to the Chargers, so they don’t have much to play for down the stretch. As a result, ahead of their game against the Broncos, they put Rice on the injured reserve, and his season is over.
It has still been a strong year for Rice, who currently ranks 17th among all wide receivers in PFSN’s Impact Rankings for this season. He has totaled 53 receptions for 571 yards and five touchdowns, despite missing the first six weeks of the season to serve his suspension. He emerged as the most reliable target for Patrick Mahomes, who also went down with an injury in Week 15.
Mahomes was forced to exit their game against the Chargers with a knee injury, and his devastating diagnosis includes torn ligaments. He has already completed the surgery for this injury, but his potential availability for the start of next season could surely be impacted. This could also affect Rice’s outlook in the short term, although he will presumably resume his usual role when they return to full strength.
READ MORE:Â 2026 3-Round NFL Mock Draft: Browns Build Around Shedeur Sanders, While 4 Ohio State Stars Go Early
As for Week 17, the Chiefs have named Chris Oladokun their starting quarterback against the Broncos as Gardner Minshew got hurt against the Titans. With Rice out, Xavier Worthy and Hollywood Brown are likely to absorb a larger share of the targets among their wide receivers.
Travis Kelce may also receive a larger workload, though the Chiefs may opt to develop some of their younger options instead. Their elimination from playoff contention allows them to shift focus away from this year and prioritize analyzing their roster for the future.
Kansas City Chiefs’ Stats and Insights for Week 17
Team: Kansas City Chiefs are 2-6 with a -1.1 point differential per game against teams with a winning record this season. From 2018 to 2024, the Chiefs were 36-14 when facing a team with a winning record, boasting a +4.4 point differential per game across 50 contests.
QB: Chris Oladokun will get the start with Patrick Mahomes and Gardner Minshew out, and this will be the first time since 2011 that the Chiefs started more than two quarterbacks. That season, Matt Cassel, Tyler Palko, and Kyle Orton all started games for Kansas City.
​Offense: Travis Kelce has averaged 5.3 receptions and 52.5 receiving yards per game over the last two seasons. From 2014 to 2023, he averaged 5.7 catches and 71.7 receiving yards per game.
Defense:Â The Chiefs have three takeaways after halftime this season. Only the Jets have fewer with one.
Fantasy:Â The Chiefs are starting 2022 seventh-round pick Chris Oladokun at quarterback. They completely rolled over against the Titans last week and are simply going through the motions, playing out a lost season. No Chiefs belong anywhere near fantasy lineups.
