The NFL is seeking to suspend Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice for at least six games for violating the league’s personal conduct policy, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Rice was arrested in April 2024 on felony charges in connection with a hit-and-run. He was sentenced in July to 30 days in jail and and five years on probation. The league originally sought a ban of at least 10 games, but pushback from the NFLPA and Rice’s camp forced the two sides into a disciplinary hearing set for September 30. That would keep Rice eligible for the Chiefs’ first four games, a stretch that includes crucial matchups against the Chargers and the Ravens as well as a Super Bowl rematch with the Eagles.
Now, the NFL appears to be changing course by offering a shorter suspension to Rice that would preempt the September hearing. It would sidelined the third-year wideout for the 2024 playoff qualifiers listed above as well as the Lions in Week 6.
Rice’s absence would certainly impact Kansas City’s offense, though it may not be fatal blow. He burst onto the scene as a second-round pick in 2023, pacing the Chiefs’ receiver room with 79 catches for 938 yards and a team-high seven touchdowns. The 25-year-old put up another 262 yards in the playoffs on the way to a Super Bowl victory.
Heading into his second year, Rice appeared to be on the cusp of a major breakout with 26 catches for 262 yards in his first four games. At 6.5 catches and 72.0 yards per game, he was on pace for what would’ve been top-10 numbers by season’s end.