After Chiefs receiver Rashee Rice suffered a knee injury during last Sunday’s win over the Chargers, it was clear on replay that quarterback Patrick Mahomes hit the receiver as he attempted to make a tackle after throw an interception on the play.
At his Thursday press conference, Mahomes told reporters that he initially had no idea what had happened. But then he saw the video of the play, which sparked a different reaction.
“I didn’t notice it at the time, I was more worried about trying to get the ball,” Mahomes said. “But obviously, he was just trying to make a play and it happens every time you try to make tackles.
“I mean, when I saw the replay, I felt like shit for hitting Rashee,” he added. “I think that’s pretty much it; I mean, I wasn’t worried about myself. I was worried, hopefully, about his injury and hoping it wasn’t as bad as it looked because I was the one who hit him.”
Head coach Andy Reid said Thursday that the Chiefs are still gathering information on Rice’s injury and will wait for the swelling in his knee to go down before running more tests.
Mahomes noted that it’s easier to adjust to lineup changes without Rice when they have a week to prepare than when the injury occurs during the game.
“Obviously, Rashee is a big part of the game plan, you have to get the guys in and adjust the timing,” Mahomes said. “Coach tries to do that in practice: he tries to throw guys in certain situations. But obviously, there are limited replays. But I thought the guys did a great job of rising to the challenge and being there in those moments.
“But Coach Reid does a great job of preparing the guys for a week of game plan. And we had an extra day this week, so I’m sure the guys will be ready to go out and play some great football.”
Rice caught 24 passes for 288 yards with two touchdowns in the first three games of the season.