Report: Chiefs WR Rashee Rice to Miss Months Following Knee Surgery

On the same day that Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice was ordered to begin serving 30 days in jail in conjunction with a probation violation, concerning injury news has been reported regarding KC's No. 1 wide receiver.

On Tuesday night, Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that Rice "underwent a clean-up surgery on his right knee to remove loose debris that was causing inflammation and now is expected to sideline him two months."

According to Schefter, Rice had his surgery last week (in mid-May), which already put his timeline for return into question with training camp likely to begin in late July. Schefter also notes that Rice underwent the surgery "before knowing that he would be sentenced after violating the terms of his probation for his role in a crash that left multiple people injured on a Dallas highway two years ago."

How will Rice's stint in jail impact his recovery and rehab process?

"Now Rice is in a Dallas County jail and will be unable to get the type of medical attention and rehab that could have expedited his return from his recent knee surgery," Schefter wrote. "Rice still is expected to be ready for training camp later this summer, but he also is facing the uncertainty of having to recover while in jail."

One week before being ordered to serve 30 days in jail, Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Riceunderwent a clean-up surgery on his right knee to remove loose debris that was causing inflammation and now is expected to sideline him two months, league sources told ESPN. pic.twitter.com/HdYba1sCui
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 19, 2026

Rice reportedly did not have any structural damage to his knee, as the procedure was to relieve discomfort from complications dating back to his season-ending knee injury suffered in October 2024 in a collision with quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Schefter notes that while Rice's injury was initially thought to be an ACL tear, he ultimately suffered a torn LCL and damaged PLC and hamstring tendon.

Rice is entering the final year of his four-year rookie contract after shortened seasons with the Chiefs in his second and third years. The 2024 season was cut short in Rice's fourth game due to the aforementioned knee injury that has continued to bother him into 2026. Last year, Rice started the year with a six-game suspension culminating from the multi-car crash that led to his array of related legal troubles. Rice was placed on the injured reserve list in late December with a concussion.

The Chiefs' wide receivers behind Rice on the depth chart include Xavier Worthy, Tyquan Thornton, Jalen Royals, Cyrus Allen and Nikko Remigio. Thornton and Allen were Kansas City's largest investments in the position this offseason, with Thornton returning to the Chiefs on a two-year, $11 million deal and Allen selected in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Worthy, a first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, is entering his third season in the pros. In two years, Worthy has recorded 101 receptions for 1,170 yards.

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