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Chiefs WR depth chart: Xavier Worthy to lead group after Rashee Rice injury
The Kansas City Chiefs entered the 2024 NFL season expecting big things from second-year wide receiver Rashee Rice. That was derailed when he suffered a serious-looking knee injury in the team's Week 4 battle with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Rice was hit with friendly fire from quarterback Patrick Mahomes as the duo tried to tackle Chargers cornerback Kristian Fulton after an interception. Rice's knee bent backward awkwardly on the play and he eventually had to be carted off the sideline.
Originally, the Chiefs feared Rice had suffered a season-ending torn ACL. Initial tests could not confirm that diagnosis, but Rice was nonetheless placed on IR. As a result, he will miss at least four weeks of action, and possibly more.
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Rice is the second Chiefs receiver to land on IR this season. He joins Hollywood Brown on the injured list after Brown suffered a sternoclavicular injury in the preseason that will keep him out for the regular season.
Where will the Chiefs go from here? Odds are they will rely on tight end Travis Kelce to be the team's top target. As for their receivers, they still have at least one high-potential target on their depth chart. It's just about finding the right combination alongside him as Kansas City looks to win its third straight Super Bowl.
Chiefs WR depth chart
The Chiefs have five receivers on their 53-man roster after placing Rice on IR. Below is the estimated pecking order among those five players based on their snap counts thus far in 2024:
And here's more to know about each player's role in the Kansas City offense.
Xavier Worthy
The Chiefs traded up to select Worthy with the 28th overall pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. The Texas product added some much-needed speed to Kansas City's offense and was seen as a nice complement to Rice's skills in the slot.
Worthy got off to a fast start. He scored two touchdowns in the Chiefs' 27-20 win over the Baltimore Ravens before seeing his production dip slightly. He enters Week 5 having played the most snaps of any Chiefs receiver, so it seems that he is going to continue to get his trial-by-fire with Rice now absent from the lineup.
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Justin Watson
Watson is in his third year with the Chiefs and was bumped into the No. 3 receiver role early in the season after Brown's injury. The seven-year veteran has been a strong fourth receiver during his NFL days and has capably filled in as Kansas City's No. 3 receiver at times during his career.
Kansas City will likely ask Watson to remain in his role as the outside starter across from Worthy. Will he be the team's No. 2 receiver? Maybe, but the Chiefs may try to funnel more targets to Rice's likely replacement in the slot.
JuJu Smith-Schuster
Smith-Schuster is the receiver who stands to benefit the most from Rice's absence. The eight-year veteran is a far cry from the player who racked up 111 catches and 1,426 yards during a Pro Bowl 2018 campaign, but he produced 933 yards in the Chiefs' offense in 2022 and has some chemistry with Mahomes.
Smith-Schuster is at his best in the slot, so he will see some extra action there with Rice no longer around to play in front of him. JuJu won't be as explosive as the second-year wide-out, but if he can just be a reliable outlet for Mahomes in the middle of the field, that will go a long way toward ensuring Kansas City's offense doesn't stall out in full without Rice.
Skyy Moore
Moore hasn't done much since being selected by the Chiefs in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft, but he seems to have the edge over Hardman for the team's No. 4 receiver job.
Moore didn't make a catch in Kansas City's first four games, but he played 43 offensive snaps compared to Hardman's 14. The shifty, 5-10 pass catcher may be asked to spell Smith-Schuster in the slot and could win some snaps away from him if he performs well.
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Mecole Hardman
Hardman caught the game-winning touchdown pass in Super Bowl 58, but the Chiefs seem more content to use him as a return man in 2024 than as an offensive playmaker. He may get a shot to spell Watson occasionally on the outside, but it seems clear that Kansas City prefers its other options to their 2019 second-round pick.
The Chiefs also have Justyn Ross, Nikko Remigio and Montrell Washington on the practice squad, so any of them could be elevated to the active roster to provide more depth. Remigio's return skills could potentially allow him to cut into Hardman's playing time if Kansas City believes the receiver room needs a spark.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Chiefs WR depth chart: Rashee Rice injury pushes Xavier Worthy to top
