“It's not good,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid told CBS at halftime when asked about the severity of Rice's injury.
Mahomes overthrew Travis Kelce at midfield on the Chiefs' second drive, and Fulton returned his interception 29 yards with 6:06 to play. Rice caught Fulton from behind at the Chiefs 20 and punched the ball loose for a fumble — but Mahomes hit Rice's legs while the star quarterback ducked down to attempt a tackle on Fulton.
Chiefs center Creed Humphrey recovered the fumble, but video review revealed Rice had been out of bounds when he forced the fumble, allowing the Chargers to retain possession.
Both of Rice's knees took an impact in his collision with Mahomes, and the receiver's right knee appeared to hyperextend.
Rice is the defending Super Bowl champions' leading receiver with 24 catches for 288 yards and two touchdowns. No other Chiefs receiver had more than tight end Travis Kelce's eight catches in their first three games this season.
Kelce stepped up in the first half in Rice's absence, making five catches for 74 yards against the Chargers — including the 917th of his career, making him the Chiefs' franchise leader in receptions.
Rice is awaiting trial on several charges after he allegedly caused a high-speed crash involving multiple cars last March on a freeway in Texas.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL
Credit: AP
Credit: AP