Patrick Mahomes ‘Felt Like S---’ After Realizing He Injured Teammate Rashee Rice

Patrick Mahomes was blunt about how he felt once he realized he accidentally injured his own teammate Rashee Rice during last Sunday’s win over the Los Angeles Chargers.

"When I saw the replay, I felt like s--- that I hit Rashee,” Mahomes, 29, told reporters on Thursday. “I mean, I wasn't worried about myself. I was worried about, hopefully, his injury and hopefully it wasn't as bad as it looked because I was the one that hit him."

The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback collided with Rice, 24, following a Chargers interception. While the Chiefs offensive players were trying to tackle the Chargers defender, Mahomes lowered his body and accidentally crashed into the knee of Rice, who was coming from the other direction and also trying to chase down their opponent.

Mahomes told reporters afterwards that he didn’t immediately notice that he was the one whose body crashed into Rice’s knee, only realizing it after seeing a replay of the moment on the overhead scoreboard at SoFi Stadium.

“It happens when you’re trying to make tackles,” Mahomes said, while lamenting his injured teammate.

“Obviously, Rashee’s a huge part of the game plan,” Mahomes said about his top wide receiver, who caught two touchdowns in the first four games of the Chiefs’ season.

Kansas City placed Rice on the injured reserve list on Thursday, according to NFL.com, amid fears that the wide receiver could miss the rest of the season depending on upcoming medical evaluations.

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"I think just wait-and-see is where we're at," head coach Andy Reid told reporters at Thurday’s team press conference before Mahomes spoke. "For his sake, we're really hoping things work out for the best, but let's just see where it goes. Leave it up to the doctors to see. I'm definitely not a doctor." 

Rice was drafted by the Chiefs in the 2023 NFL Draft and helped Kansas City win the 2024 Super Bowl this past February, capping off a memorable rookie season in which he caught seven touchdown passes and notched 938 receiving yards. 

He later made headlines during the offseason when he was arrested on eight felony charges related to a multi-vehicle crash in Dallas, Texas. In a statement to PEOPLE, Rice said he took “full responsibility” for his role in the crash.

The Chiefs are 4-0 to start the season as Kansas City is chasing down NFL history, looking to become the first team to ever win three-straight Super Bowls. Kansas City’s next game is Monday, Oct. 7 against the New Orleans Saints.