The Week 5 bye gave the Kansas City Chiefs a breather, but didn’t clear up the questions surrounding Patrick Mahomes’ passing attack. Sitting at 4-0 ahead of an AFC West matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers, the Chiefs returned to the practice field on Wednesday to try and keep its offensive momentum going. To that end, head coach Andy Reid confirmed that 4th year wide receiver Rashee Rice remains the lone starter unable to practice.

“As far as injuries go, Rashee will be the only one that doesn’t go today,” Coach Reid told reporters in his opening statement on Wednesday. “Everybody else is scheduled to do something. So, look forward to the challenge of playing the Chargers.”

While Coach Reid didn’t completely rule him out for Sunday’s home game, there’s no firm timeline on Rice’s return either.

“We’ll just kind of see how it goes,” Reid said. “He’s actually feeling pretty good as he goes here. But we’ll see. I mean, those things you start dealing with hamstrings, it could be a week, could be two weeks, you don’t know. But I know he’s eager to get back in.”

Rice notably picked up the hamstring injury in the first quarter of the Chiefs’ 30-27 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 4. In that same matchup, KC lost their top deep threat Tyquan Thornton to a dislocated ankle, forcing the front office to sign veteran Justin Watson to the practice squad for emergency depth.

For now, Rice is listed as “DNP” for Wednesday’s injury report, and the coming days will show us whether he’s made enough progress to return to full participation. But beyond this, the issue of the Chiefs is keeping him on the field consistently. Between an LCL tear in 2024 and recent physical setbacks, Rice has appeared in only 12 regular season games across the last two seasons.

When healthy, he is one of Mahomes’ most efficient chain-movers, posting 13 catches for 190 yards, a score, and six first downs until Week 4 this year, including an 88-yard performance against the Miami Dolphins in Week 3. With a four-win cushion to start the season, the coaching staff has little incentive to rush him back before the hamstring is fully healed.

Now, while Rashee Rice watched from the side, the offensive line also received significant news on Mahomes’ blindside. Starting left tackle Josh Simmons returned to the practice field on Wednesday, participating on a limited basis for the first time since mid-August. But Coach Reid is in no rush to bring him back either.

“I’m just going to ease him back in,” Reid said. “He’s going to practice, but we’ll be on a limited basis there.”

Getting Simmons back in pads is a welcome sign for a player whose early career has been stalled by bad injury luck. The 2025 first-round pick started just 8 games as a rookie before a personal absence and a fractured, dislocated wrist ended his debut season on the IR. Then, during training camp this offseason, a bulging disc in his lower back shut him down again, forcing UDFA Kahlil Benson to start the first four games at left tackle.

When asked about a potential return date, and what Simmons’ return means for Benson, Coach Reid was quick to temper expectations, noting that back issues demand patience.

“Yeah, I haven’t even gone there,” Reid said. “I’m just glad he’s having a chance to come back for sure. We start dealing with backs, got to ease it back in if you can get back in at all. So, we’ll just see how he does. I haven’t really even gone there. I just know he’s wanted to get back out there, and this is the first step of that.”

On defense, second-year defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott is also working through a long rehab process. The 2025 second-round pick remains designated as ‘Out’ after tearing his ACL last season, and while he was eligible to return after Week 4, Andy Reid noted that he still needs more time before rejoining team drills.

“He is getting better,” Reid noted. “He’s out working out with the trainers and doing that but he’s getting closer.”

With a divisional game against the winless Chargers up next, Kansas City has the luxury of being cautious. The 4-0 record gives Andy Reid time to make sure Rashee Rice doesn’t turn a short-term strain into a lingering problem. But with Thornton already out for months, getting Rice back on the field alongside Travis Kelce remains the key to keeping Patrick Mahomes’ passing game running up the route tree at full speed.