Chiefs vs. Chargers Snap Counts: Who Did KC Rely On After Rashee Rice Injury?

What do the Kansas City Chiefs' snap counts against the Los Angeles Chargers say about how the team will operate without Rashee Rice?

Sep 29, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy (1) celebrates with wide receiver Skyy Moore (24) after catching a 54-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Kansas City Chiefs' 17-10 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers was a mixed bag on the offensive side of the football, especially with No. 1 wide receiver Rashee Rice leaving the game with a knee injury on just his fourth snap of the game. What can the Chiefs' Week 4 snap counts tell us about the current state of the reigning back-to-back champions? Particularly at wide receiver, quite a lot.

What happened without Rashee Rice?

With reports indicating that the Chiefs are bracing to lose Rice for the remainder of the 2024 season, KC's in-game choices on Sunday could reveal a bit of the Chiefs' plan for a post-Rice future.

Rookie speedster Xavier Worthy led KC receivers by playing 45 of KC's 62 offensive snaps on Sunday (73%), with Justin Watson second in line with 43 (69%). JuJu Smith-Schuster took the third-most reps with 32 (52%). Without Rice and Marquise "Hollywood" Brown available, Worthy will now have to shift into an even more accelerated program as KC's only healthy receiver who has shown an ability to stress defenses in 2024. Watson and Smith-Schuster can stay on the field as reliable veterans executing a specific job, but they entered the year as the team's fourth and fifth (if not fourth and sixth) receivers for a reason. Smith-Schuster is the best stand-in for Rice on the roster, but the Chiefs will need him in 2022-esque form if he needs to take on anything close to a Rice-sized role.

Former 2022 second-round pick Skyy Moore took the second-fewest snaps of KC's healthy receivers (13) and was targeted twice with no receptions. He was responsible for a drive-killing drop on 3rd and 1 for what should have been a routine pitch-and-catch first down. Sixth-year receiver Mecole Hardman took just 10 offensive snaps and received zero targets. Even as the Chiefs have apparently sought to wring any drop of value out of Moore, I would argue for Hardman to see a spike in snaps in Week 5, which isn't exactly a ringing endorsement for the wide receiver depth chart.

Welcome back, Kareem Hunt

Following the second fumble of the year from undrafted rookie Carson Steele, returning former Chief Kareem Hunt got the longest look at running back and impressed during his time on the field. Hunt played 28 of the Chiefs' offensive snaps (45%) while Samaje Perine took 25 (40%) and Steele saw just 11 (18%).

Hunt looked explosive and productive in his return to the Chiefs, taking 14 carries for 69 yards (4.9 yards per carry) and two catches for 16 yards. Though Perine had a similar snap count workload, he touched the ball just five times, including his goal line touchdown run. While Perine will still have a role as a versatile back who can be trusted in pass protection and Steele will see the ball again this season, the No. 1 running back job appears to be Hunt's to lose until Isiah Pacheco returns.

Defensive end rotation survives without Mike Danna

The Chiefs' most noteworthy inactive player on Sunday was defensive end Mike Danna, who missed the game due to a calf injury. In Danna's absence, how did the defensive end rotation shake out? The most noteworthy development may be the usage of Cameron Thomas. The Chiefs sent a seventh-round pick to the Arizona Cardinals for Thomas in August, but he didn't make his Chiefs debut until Week 4. In that debut, he played just three defensive snaps. It's hard to be anything but discouraged about what the coaching staff must currently expect from Thomas, as KC's pass-rush has been weak enough from the edge this season to justify a search for creative solutions. At this point, the Chiefs apparently don't see Thomas as much of an asset.

At the top of the snap counts, defensive end George Karlaftis took 51 of KC's 56 defensive snaps (91%) while 2023 first-round pick Felix Anudike-Uzomah played 26 snaps (46%) and Malik Herring took 18 (32%).

Noah Gray: Mr. 52%

This isn't necessarily an important development, and it's certainly not a surprising one, but it's too bizarre not to share. No. 2 tight end Noah Gray played 52% of the Chiefs' offensive snaps in the 2022 and 2023 NFL seasons. Through four games of the 2024 season, he's played... just under 53%. Against the Chargers, he played 32 of KC's 62 offensive snaps: 52%.

Noah Gray has the most consistent snap count percentages in NFL history [citation needed]. pic.twitter.com/eGFz7nQbt6

— Joshua Brisco (@jbbrisco) September 30, 2024

None of this is a positive or negative statement about Gray, who signed a contract extension with the Chiefs just before the start of the season. It's simply a unique view of a player Kansas City clearly values and trusts to be in the right spots on the field — just over half the time.

Read More: Winners and Losers from the Chiefs' Week 4 Victory Over the Chargers