After Patrick Mahomes‘ opened up about the collision with Chiefs teammate Rashee Rice which led to an indefinite injury reserve status for the receiver.
In Kansas City’s Week 4 matchup against Los Angeles, Mahomes attempted to keep the Chargers from gaining more yards after throwing an interception. As the quarterback lowered his shoulder, Rice ran right into Mahomes, fell on the turf, and got carried off the field.
On Thursday, Mahomes admitted his guilt from the friendly fire that took out one of the team’s most impactful players.
“When I saw the replay, I felt like s*** that I hit Rashee,’ Mahomes told the press. ‘I think that’s pretty much all. I wasn’t really worried about myself.’
‘I was worried about his injury and hopefully, it wasn’t as bad as it looked, because I was the one that hit him,’ he added.
Patrick Mahomes admitted to feeling ‘like s***’ after injuring his receiver Rashee Rice
Rice hyperextended his knee after colliding with Mahomes and is suspected to have a torn ACL
Rice was carted off and was suspected to have torn his ACL after his knee hyperextended upon contact with Mahomes. However, initial testing revealed no evidence of a season-ending tear.
The team is yet to announce an official diagnosis as more testing is being done on the affected knee.
However, the Chiefs had placed Rice on injury reserve on Thursday afternoon, meaning he will miss at least four games.
Earlier on Thursday, Chiefs coach Andy Reid said, ‘We’ll get testing done and let you know.’
Following the win on Sunday, Mahomes addressed the interception that led to the inevitable collision with Rice.
“Obviously the corner made a good play. I was trying to fire it to [Travis Kelce] on his body,” Mahomes said. “I overthrew him a little bit, turned the ball over, and then I thought Rashee really made a good play.
“I was trying to tackle the guy and obviously rolled up on him. If I just don’t turn the ball over, that never happens. So, you’ve just got to try to get better at that.”
The Chiefs are yet to lose in their quest for a threepeat, holding a 4-0 record. They hope to keep their win streak alive against the New Orleans Saints on October 7.
Rice recorded 24 receptions for 288 yards and two touchdowns before the injury.