Rashee Rice Breaks Silence With SHOCKING Update on Knee Injury and Looming NFL Suspension That Could Shake the Chiefs' Season

Coming off a couple of down seasons, the Kansas City Chiefs‘ offense is looking to assert its dominance in 2025-26. Wide receiver Rashee Rice figures to be a big part of that effort, albeit with a caveat.

As the regular season approaches, it remains highly possible that Rice receives a suspension from the NFL. How many games that’ll be for is anyone’s guess, but the expectation is the former second-round pick will miss some time. In July, Rice was sentenced to five years of probation and 30 days of jail time due to a March 2024 multi-vehicle crash.

On top of that, the 25-year-old is attempting to return from a season-ending knee injury. That’s a lot to consider when predicting how his third year with the Chiefs will unfold.

Rashee Rice Confident in Knee Being 100% Entering Season

Luckily for Kansas City, Rice is feeling good. The knee doesn’t appear to be a problem. Speaking to the media following August 2’s training camp practice, Rice addressed his rehab.

“It was kind of slow,” Rice said. “Just taking it day by day [and] not getting discouraged about what I could do just a couple days ago.”

Citing himself as “100%” healthy, Rice admitted he’s faring “better than I felt last year.” That’s absolutely massive news for the Chiefs with the regular season quickly approaching. The SMU product credits his surgeon and a newfound appreciation for the little things as driving forces in his successful recovery.

“I was able to work on things I didn’t know I’d have to focus on in my knee,” Rice said. “My right knee, shoutout to Dr. Cooper, who did a great job on my knee. I just got to focus on small things, which helped me improve my game on the field.”

Prior to his injury, Rice looked primed for a breakout. In just three games, he hauled in 24 passes for 288 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Week 4’s outing against the Los Angeles Chargers cut his budding stardom short, however. After an interception, quarterback Patrick Mahomes accidentally took out Rice on a tackle attempt.

Now on the other side of it, Rice is glad to be back.

“I’m excited to be back out here with the guys,” Rice said. “It’s kind of, basically, back where I left off at. The only thing is [to] get back on the field and just continue to have fun doing what I do.”

Rice Learning From Mistakes as He & Chiefs Await Suspension News

The suspension is a whole different story. For both Rice and the Chiefs, there’s plenty of uncertainty at the moment. No one knows what the league’s ultimate decision will be, which could throw a fork in Kansas City’s plans for part of the season.

When asked about that unpredictability, Rice opted for embracing it.

“Honestly, it’s still in the works,” Rice said. “My legal team is handling that. All I can do is handle what I can control right now, and that’s me doing what I do best right here on the field.”

Now well over a year removed from his accident, Rice is attempting to learn from his mistakes. If he can do so, it’ll be good for him and the Chiefs. The team needs him back to his old ways, at least on the field, in order to achieve the success they’re shooting for.

Rice wants to continue growing off the field. He believes he’s “completely changed” after the incident and is a more mature person now. That’s thanks to leadership and mentorship, as well as his own internal efforts to blossom.

Rice’s ultimate lesson learned, he says, is to appreciate the opportunities a new day brings.

“Just how valuable any opportunity is and any moment is,” Rice said. “This right here, us being able to be on the field and be able to be coached by coach [Andy] Reid and have such a great quarterback is honestly a gift. It’s a blessing. Honestly, to not take advantage of opportunities like this.”