Rashee Rice's knee injury may not be season-ending, according to Adam Schefter

Despite a win over the Los Angeles Chargers that lifted the Kansas City Chiefs to a 4-0 record, most of the discussion surrounding the reigning back-to-back champions centered on the health of second-year wide receiver Rashee Rice. The Chiefs' No. 1 receiver was carted off the sideline because of a knee injury he suffered when he and quarterback Patrick Mahomes attempted a tackle after an interception.

After reports on Sunday night suggested that the team feared Rice would suffer a torn ACL that would end his season, the Chiefs received the first glimmer of cautiously promising news on Monday afternoon.

Adam Schefter from appears on NFL Live ESPN provided the first hint of optimism about Rice's status.

“That’s what we know at the moment,” said Schefter. “We know that Rashee Rice will be out for an extended period of time. We don't know yet that this cruciate ligament is torn. He continues to undergo tests and there is no confirmation yet that it is torn, as the Chiefs feared. “There will be another serious knee injury in the locker room after the game, but they are hoping it is not as bad as they were have feared.

While Schefter notes that even in the best-case scenario, Rice would be expected to be “out for an extended period of time,” that's extremely optimistic compared to Sunday night's reporting. After the game, several insiders, including Schefter, reported that the team feared the worst after an initial look at Rice's knee.

“Sources say Chiefs WR Rashee Rice suffered a torn ACL during Sunday’s game against the Chargers,” Schefter wrote on Twitter/X on Sunday evening. “Additional testing will be performed to confirm the initial diagnosis.”

According to early reports, anything other than a season-ending injury would be a positive outcome for Rice and the Chiefs.

Read more: Chiefs vs. Chargers Snap Counts: Who did KC rely on after Rashee Rice's injury?