Rather than delay his inevitable suspension until after a September 30 hearing, Chiefs WR Rashee Rice accepted a six-game ban, which he will begin serving immediately. As ESPN’s Nate Taylor details, there are several factors that informed Rice’s decision.
For one, he knew there was no guarantee that former U.S. district judge Sue L. Robinson, who was scheduled to hear his case, would have handed him a ban of fewer than six games. Secondly, he wanted to get his suspension out of the way early so that he would be available for Kansas City’s playoff push.
As our Adam La Rose recently observed, the earlier suspension will give Rice more time to continue healing from the LCL tear that prematurely ended his 2024 season. Taylor also points out that Rice will be eligible for an extension after the upcoming campaign, at which point he will have accrued three years of service time. Serving the ban at the beginning of the year will enable him to build momentum in that regard rather than starting the season on the field and then being forced to sit out a significant number of games in the middle of the 2025 schedule.
Rice’s criminal matter, which stemmed from a March 2024 hit-and-run incident that brought eight felony charges, concluded last month with a sentence of five years probation and a 30-day prison term. Rice received deferred adjudication, which gives him the opportunity to avoid the prison stay, but his NFL matter lingered for several weeks after the legal resolution.
With Rice on the sidelines, Kansas City’s WR targets will be shared by Xavier Worthy, Marquise Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Tyquan Thornton, and Jalen Royals. Rice, though, is probably the club’s best wideout, and while the Chiefs advanced to the Super Bowl without him last season, they certainly felt his absence.
“It’s another threat,” quarterback Patrick Mahomes said of Rice. “Rashee gets those screens and he gets 15-20 yards. That kind of crushes a defense. When they’re worried about us going deep and then all of a sudden we’re hitting screens and getting the same explosive plays, that kind of completes the offense.”
Smith-Schuster and Brown will likely share time in Rice’s familiar slot receiver role until the SMU product returns to the field. He will miss games against the Chargers, Eagles, Giants, Ravens, Jaguars, and Lions, and he will not be eligible to practice until Week 7.
5 years probation and a big raise and extension seems more than fair for 8 felonies and almost killing a bunch or people. Dahmer would probably get probation now.
Hopefully he learns from this•
Hahahaha they never do
Lmao I wouldn’t say “never”
He learned as long as he is good at football they’ll get him off somehow.
True
We forget these guys are in their early 20s who just came into tons of money and don’t know how to act right..I was an idiot in my late teens early 20s, never anything close to what a lot of the guys do but still. IMO they should be held accountable for their actions like the rest of us normies, but thats how they get treated and is what it is. Yes, hopefully these guys learn in a manner that speaks to them eventually.
Well, as long as we do what’s best for Rashee.
Since when does the player get to decide when to serve their suspension?
Of course he did. Same reason Ohio St and Texas played in weak one. Get the L out of the way early. F this guy.