Kansas City Chiefs receiver Rashee Rice is continuing to prepare for the 2024 season while fully aware that a suspension could be coming from the NFL.
It has been a turbulent offseason for Rice, who is facing eight charges related to a multi-car accident in March. The former SMU star was reportedly also a suspect in an assault that occurred at a Dallas nightclub in May.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler provided an update on Rashee Rice during SportsCenter Saturday morning.
“Most people I’ve talked to around the league believe that he will get a multi-game suspension at some point given all that’s gone down,” Fowler stated.
That’s not a huge surprise given the NFL’s history when it comes to suspensions. However, just because a multi-game suspension is likely coming doesn’t mean it’s coming soon.
The league is likely to be patient as it sorts out the proper punishment for Rice, according to Fowler. He added that it’s possible the entire 2024 season plays out before we have a resolution.
“This is a lengthy legal process, which means he could start the season, actually play games or finish the whole year, because the league likes to see the full scope of things before they make a decision on how many games a player might face,” Fowler said. “We saw that with Alvin Kamara a couple of years ago when he had his battery charges. He played the whole year then was suspended for the next year. So that is a possibility that the Chiefs are bracing for here, they just don’t know.”
In the meantime, it’s imperative that Rice avoid any further trouble. Fowler said that it has been good for the second-year pro to be back around his teammates.
“He was an active participant in the Chiefs’ offseason spring workouts. I was told that was a safe haven for him. After all that he’s dealing with off the field, it was a relief for him to be on it,” Fowler said. “He was considered a consummate teammate while he was there. And now the Chiefs wait on a potential NFL suspension.”
Rice was selected in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs after an excellent college career at SMU. He helped the Chiefs to a Super Bowl in his first year in the NFL, leading Kansas City wideouts with 79 catches for 938 yards and seven touchdowns.
During Kansas City’s postseason run to the Super Bowl, Rice caught 26 passes for 262 yards across four playoff games.
