Following Rashee Rice‘s six-game 2025 suspension in connection with felony charges from a hit-and-run incident, the Chiefs wide receiver faced ugly allegations of domestic violence made by his ex-girlfriend.
The alleged victim, Dacoda Jones, filed a civil suit accusing Rice of repeatedly assaulting her between December 2023 and July 2025. In January, she displayed photos of injuries that Rice allegedly inflicted on her. Jones, who has two children with Rice, claims most of the alleged abuse occurred when she was pregnant.
On Friday, however, the NFL concluded Rice “has not engaged in conduct that violates the personal conduct policy,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. No suspension is coming at this time, per Schefter. This will be welcome news for Rice and the Chiefs, who have certainly run into a few high-profile off-field issues over the past several years. One season remains on Rice’s rookie contract.
Given the timing of this report, it certainly qualifies as a Friday news dump. Although the 25-year-old receiver was never charged with a crime, the NFL’s personal conduct policy has brought suspensions for players not charged criminally in the past. In this case, though, Rice will not enter a second straight season with a suspension.
Jones’ civil suit indicated “Rice has grabbed, choked, strangled, pushed, thrown, scratched, hit, and headbutted Ms. Jones, as well as hit her with inanimate objects.” Rice’s attorney, however, released a statement indicating that on October 9, 2025, “Ms. Jones stated under penalty of perjury in a sworn Affidavit for a Non-Prosecution that ‘Mr. Rice and I had a verbal argument, but he did not punch me.'”
Jones had alleged Rice physical abuse taking place for years; it is unclear if any cooperation issues interfered with this NFL investigation. That was the case when the league opted not to suspend then-Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill in 2019, after a second wave of domestic violence allegations surfaced against the All-Pro. Hill’s ugly college domestic violence incident preceding the 2019 accusations allowed the Chiefs to construct a team-friendly extension with the star receiver. Kansas City signed Hill to a three-year, $54MM extension with a favorable (for the club) guarantee structure. Rice is now extension-eligible, and because he was a second-round pick, no fifth-year option exists on his rookie contract.
The Chiefs drafted Rice a year after trading Hill to the Dolphins, and Rice helped make up for Skyy Moore‘s failed development as a second-rounder. Rice made a big impact for the Chiefs’ Super Bowl LVIII-winning team in 2023, totaling 938 yards and seven touchdowns. An LCL tear sustained in Week 4 of the 2024 season derailed the SMU product, who was down for over a year thanks to the six-game ban taking place to start the 2025 campaign. While the possession receiver returned and played well last season, he was active for just eight games; the Chiefs placed him on IR after a concussion. Though, the team parked a few key players on IR — including Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson — late in a lost season.
Had Rice been suspended under the personal conduct policy a second time, he would have been looking at an absence that covered more than half his contract year. Kansas City’s top receiver not being banned represents a break for the team, though off-field troubles that extend back to his time at SMU may still influence the Chiefs in this draft. Kansas City holds two first-round picks this year, the second obtained from the Rams in the McDuffie trade, and has seen Rice run into frequent trouble.
In May 2024, weeks after the street-racing accident, Rice was the subject of an investigation for alleged assault on a photographer. The accuser did not press charges, but it continued a trend of off-field problems dating to Rice’s time in college. During the 2023 pre-draft process, NFL teams became aware of an alleged incident in which Rice or a member of his party fired multiple shots into an empty car belonging to a member of SMU’s basketball team.
Rice faces a pivotal 2026 season, as he may be auditioning — based on how the Chiefs proceed early in the draft — for other teams as a prospective 2027 free agent. But the Chiefs have shown a high tolerance for off-field issues under Andy Reid. Rice being cleared today points to him being available to open the season and craft an extension case. The Chiefs hold exclusive negotiating rights with the wideout until March 2027.
Wait for the Ray Rice’esque video to come out and the NFL changes their stance.
These rice so nice they hit you twice
Not surprised…plays for the chiefs and the NFL doesn’t give actually care about domestic violence
Remember to buy all the pink merch in October!
Smh
Goodell is on fire right now. Unfortunately not literally.
Thankfully he didn’t profess any religious beliefs and only beat and abused the mother of his children. Otherwise he might be out of a job.
Harrison Buktner is very openly religious, as are many, many NFL players.
They probably waiting form Women month to end before announcing.
If you referring to Jayden Ivey from NBA he also confessed to abusing wife so he has that on top of his wild religious outburst.
No one is getting fired for religious beliefs. Most athletes are Christian, and constantly praise God for giving them the ability to dunk, hit home runs, and throw touchdowns. The Christian victim card is getting very, very stale and desperate to the point puds use it to downplay domestic abuse.
So you commit several felonies and almost end someone’s life and all you got were those 6 games, but if you smoke a lil bit of pot, it’s an indefinite ban from the league?
What in the hell are you talking about?
Oh jeez this may mean Pearce of ATL getting a light suspension if any.
Did his ex sign an affidavit saying he didn’t hit her? Did the police officer? Yeah, I don’t think these two situations have much of anything in common…
Further proof of what the NFL stands for and all the more reason to stop supporting it and its players. So glad I tuned out about 5-6 years ago.
As is clear by your commenting on this NFL news!
I don’t support the NFL financially. I don’t watch the games, I don’t go to the games. I tuned out from them. This site doesn’t support the NFL financially either.
I wouldn’t expect most the people around here to understand that. Thanks for reinforcing that hypothesis.
Oh, I get it Ed, fully. For me, the balance between “sport” and “business” became so one sided I too tuned out in 2022. No purchases of tickets (I used to attend @ Soldier Field once or twice per season), no paraphernalia, etc. I have said it a thousand times, if I want to watch money flow, I’ll watch Bloomberg and read the WSJ all day.
Nowadays I have a “free day” where on Sunday I do as I wish, no burning ambition to sit through an hour and a half of lousy, annoying commercials surrounded by some play. Also sick of players celebrating like they won the Super Bowl for making a tackle. It’s your job, don’t act like it’s your first time!
Come here once in awhile to see the car crash that is pro “sports”.
And don’t get me started on the Olympics…
So if you tuned out the NFL 5-6 years ago why are you reading articles on this website?
Because this site doesn’t make the NFL or the players any money. I don’t watch the games, I don’t go to any games, but I still read, you know?
Do you have the same guidelines and standards for all major sports, companies you support or politics? Because if you truly felt this way, you wouldn’t support any of them. Acting like football is in a league of their own in this regard is ignorant.
I was never into college sports very much, and it applies to all professional league sports. I used to be a huge MLB (Orioles) and NFL (Ravens) fan. I am not old enough to be a Baltimore Colts fan, so before we got the Ravens I generally just watched the national broadcasts. I didn’t adopt the Redskins because DC is not Baltimore, so I sort of rode with the Vikings because I loved their 90’s era helmets.
I sort of fell out with baseball anyway after Cal Ripken Jr. retired. But, I still tuned in and watched my hapless Orioles finally manage to get competitive, and then bungle it all away because they don’t believe in pitching for some reason. But, I fell out of MLB for many of the same reasons as the NFL.
Before you try to offer an insult, get some information first.
Investigation conducted by Mahomes and Mahomes fighting for your rights to stay in the NFL no matter what you do
Mahomes IS NOT fighting for Rice. He world fight for cap space before Rice.
*would
The NFL is sick.
Sick, like in a good way?
Not sure why anyone would expect a commissioner who supports flag football to have any interest in enforcing discipline.
Is the NFL privy to the evidence being provided for the civil case? Not saying that it would change their minds but I’m curious what all their investigation entailed.
Well of course he wasn’t suspended is anyone shocked? 🙄 now if he played baseball, MLB would have suspended him because they take domestic violence seriously but the NFL. .
They should throw this guy out of the league. There should be an automatic suspension implemented. That’s the bottom line.
“Ms. Jones stated under penalty of perjury in a sworn Affidavit for a Non-Prosecution that ‘Mr. Rice and I had a verbal argument, but he did not punch me.’”
31 responses, and only one of you brought up the statement where she swore nothing happened.
Those R. Rice fellas are troublemakers.
At this time……..keywords. Wait until after this case is taken care of. If he is found guilty in this case, you have to revisit this.