Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice suffered a knee injury after an unfortunate collision with quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who was attempting to make a tackle after throwing an interception during the club's Week 4 win over the Los Angeles Chargers.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Mahomes was asked if he had any concern that he possibly suffered an injury of his own.
"No I didn't notice in the moment, I was more worried about trying to get the ball," Mahomes said. "But yeah, obviously, just trying to make a play. It happens when you're trying to make tackles."
Mahomes then added he felt guilty after seeing the replay of the injury, which showed Rice's right knee awkwardly locking after it collided with the quarterback's shoulder.
"When I saw the replay, I felt like s**t that I hit Rashee," Mahomes said. "I think that's pretty much all ... I mean, I wasn't really worried about myself. I was worried about, hopefully, his injury, and hopefully that it wasn't as bad as it looked because I was the one that hit him."
During an interview at the end of the first half, Chiefs coach Andy Reid, asked about Rice's injury, said it was "not good." In the days since, Rice has been ruled out for Week 5, but no long-term timeline has emerged yet for the Chiefs wideout, who will undergo further testing to determine the full severity of the injury.
The lack of an immediate diagnosis led to optimism from some that Rice had avoided a serious injury, but Reid gently pushed back against that narrative on Thursday, saying the team is in "wait-and-see" mode in regards to the star receiver.
The Chiefs are currently working to get the swelling in Rice's knee down, Reid told reporters.
In the meantime, the likes of tight end Travis Kelce and fellow receivers Xavier Worthy, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Justin Watson, Sky Moore and Mecole Hardman will take on more responsibility in the offense in Rice's stead.
The Chiefs (4-0) host the New Orleans Saints (2-2) on Monday Night Football in Week 5.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Patrick Mahomes Made Guilty Admission Regarding Rashee Rice Injury.