KC Chiefs Rule Out Rashee Rice, Three Others for Week 18 vs. Chargers
The Kansas City Chiefs' Week 18 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers is quickly closing in. As the team gets ready to travel out west, they're slated to hold at least five players out of the lineup. One, quarterback Patrick Mahomes, was revealed earlier in the week. On Friday, head coach Andy Reid listed the other four.
Wide receivers Rashee Rice (hamstring) and Kadarius Toney (hip/ankle), offensive tackle Donovan Smith (neck) and cornerback L'Jarius Sneed (calf) will all be inactive to cap off the regular season. Per Reid, everyone else will be "up and ready to go" in some way on Sunday afternoon.
Kansas City's expected inactives shouldn't come as much of a surprise considering how the week went. Rice and Sneed didn't practice on Wednesday or Thursday and weren't spotted during the open media portion of Friday's practice. Toney returned from his hip injury to practice in a limited capacity on Wednesday didn't work in the two days thereafter. The same thing happened with Smith, except the veteran left tackle was a full participant on Wednesday and was subsequently downgraded.
For Rice and Sneed, the situation appears to be the team exercising caution. The former had his hamstring ailment pop up during last Sunday's win over the Cincinnati Bengals; Rice's participation in practice early next week is worth monitoring. Sneed played through a calf strain and performed admirably in Week 17, although the Chiefs don't want to push it with him considering he's a critical part of Steve Spagnuolo's defense.
Toney and Smith's injuries are trickier to decipher. Toney missed Week 12 with the hip injury but returned the following week, playing three consecutive games. With that said, he's been out for the past two games and practicing just once this week doesn't bode particularly well for him yet. Smith hasn't played since Week 13 due to a neck stinger that's still lingering. Rookie left tackle Wanya Morris will continue to get the nod on game days.
Elsewhere for the Chiefs, it looks like the trio of running back Isiah Pacheco, tight end Travis Kelce and defensive tackle Chris Jones will be available on Sunday. Pacheco didn't practice on Wednesday with a quad contusion but returned on Thursday in a limited capacity. Kelce was limited on Wednesday and Thursday with a neck issue, and Jones was out both days due to a groin spasm. Pacheco doesn't have much on the line in Week 18, but Kelce has a 1,000-yard streak to play for and Jones is a half-sack away from netting a $1.25 million contract incentive. Time will tell if Reid allows any or all of those three to play.
