Latest news on Chiefs WR Rashee Rice's knee injury as he awaits exploratory scope with specialist

The Kansas City Chiefs will soon have greater clarity on WR Rashee Rice's knee injury. 

Rice was placed on injured reserve on Wednesday after suffering an apparent right knee injury in the first quarter of the team's Week 4 game against the Los Angeles Chargers. The injury occurred during an interception return and was an unfortunate case of friendly fire in a collision with QB Patrick Mahomes. Rice was eventually carted off the field and it was widely reported that Rice was suspected of suffering a torn ACL.

The initial testing and subsequent MRI revealed no conclusive evidence of a season-ending ACL tear. NFL insiders reported last week that more testing was needed to determine the best course of action for Rice. Andy Reid indicated that it was a matter of getting the swelling down in his knee and undergoing additional testing, which is slated to happen early during the Chiefs' upcoming bye week. 

Here's a look at everything that we know so far. . . 

Chiefs WR Rashee Rice to meet with knee specialist this week

As first reported by The Athletic's Nate Taylor, Rice is slated to meet with renowned Dr. Dan Cooper in Dallas, Texas early this week. Dr. Cooper will perform an exploratory arthroscopic procedure on Rice's knee to ascertain the full extent of the injury. He'll be checking the ACL, PCL, and LCL, in addition to other knee mechanisms that could be injured.

Here's some info on Dr. Cooper from his website:

"Dr. Cooper’s practice primarily focuses on minimally invasive arthroscopic and reconstructive surgical techniques for the knee and shoulder that restore stability and joint function in young athletic individuals. Dr. Cooper is an internationally known expert in the treatment of complex knee ligament injuries involving injury to the anterior cruciate, posterior cruciate and collateral ligaments, and his practice serves as a referral center for difficult and revision cases."

There are a few different outcomes of the knee scope, leading to different return-to-play timelines. 

What is Chiefs WR Rashee Rice's return timeline?

If a single one of the aforementioned knee ligaments checked out during the exploratory scope requires surgery, Rice would be out for the entire 2024 NFL season. He could have up to a 9-12 month recovery timeline depending on the severity and ligaments damaged. The optimistic and best-case outcome is that there is not enough damage to require Dr. Cooper to perform surgery. That would likely mean Rice would remain on injured reserve for 4-8 weeks and be able to return during the 2024 NFL season. Fox Sports NFL insider Jay Glazer suggested on "FOX NFL Sunday" that a six-week timeline is on the table if Rice somehow escapes without requiring surgery.

Which players/teams are being connected to the Chiefs in trade? 

Whether Rice gets good or bad news this week, the Chiefs are said to be in the market to add a receiver at the trade deadline. ESPN's Adam Schefter and NFL Network's Ian Rapoport each reported over the weekend that Brett Veach will explore potential trades at the wide receiver position. Schefter and Rapoport each mentioned Tennessee Titans WR DeAndre Hopkins as a potential trade target for Kansas City. They cite the Chiefs' interest in Hopkins in the 2023 offseason before he signed a two-year deal worth $26 million with the Tennessee Titans. They also point to the L'Jarius Sneed trade this offseason as these two clubs having a working relationship. 

Through four games this season, Hopkins has 10 catches for 121 yards and one touchdown. It doesn't seem like this would be a scenario where Hopkins is unhappy and requests a trade. This seems like a scenario where the Titans are a bad football team in 2024 and are trying to recoup some draft capital for a player slated to become a free agent in 2025.