Getty Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice at Arrowhead Stadium on January 13, 2024.
The Kansas City Chiefs are working hard to make a legit run at a Super Bowl three-peat. However, there’s a strong likelihood that Kansas City will start the 2024 NFL season without their No. 1 wide receiver, Rashee Rice.
Rice’s lawyer, Royce West, confirmed that the 23-year-old was driving the Lamborghini that caused a six-vehicle car crash in Dallas, Texas on March 30. Speaking to reporters on April 4, West said he expects Rice to be charged by the Dallas Police Department.
West did not answer why Rice and others involved fled the scene. “That’s a good question that’s still being investigated,” West said. “I can’t get into the particulars now.”
UPDATE: An arrest warrant was issued for Rice on April 10, WFAA reported. Rice “faces eight charges in the case — six counts of collision involving bodily injury, one count of collision involving serious bodily injury and one count of aggravated assault, according to the arrest warrant. All of the charges are felonies.”
Theodore Knox, 21, who plays cornerback at SMU, was driving the Corvette. Knox faces the same charges as Rice. The passengers in their respective vehicles are not facing charges.
Wait.. so someone actually got dashcam footage of the Rashee Rice accident??? Yea thats crazy
The Athletic’s Nate Taylor wrote, “Even if Rice isn’t convicted, or he agrees to a plea deal, he is likely to be suspended.” League commissioner Roger Goodell suspended several players that avoided criminal charges in the past. The list includes Jameis Winston, Ezekiel Elliott, and Kareem Hunt.
“Rice could be suspended multiple games next season for violating the personal conduct policy,” Taylor wrote. “Regarding Rice’s incident, the policy defines one violation as ‘conduct that poses a genuine danger to the safety and well-being of another person.'”
How Many Games Could Chiefs WR Rashee Rice Miss Due to a Suspension?
When Royce West was asked is Dallas DA expected to file charges: “Yes.”
If Rice is suspended, the big question is how many games Rice will miss. Chiefs defensive end Charles Omenihu was suspended six games following an arrest on suspicion of misdemeanor domestic violence, according to the San Jose Police Department. In January 2023, Omenihu was still a member of the San Francisco 49ers.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported in August 2023 that Omenihu’s suspension stemmed from “violations of the personal conduct policy.”
Former Chiefs linebacker Willie Gay served a four-game suspension in 2022 following an “arrest in Overland Park, Kan., and booked for a Class B misdemeanor criminal damage to property charge of less than $1,000,” Taylor wrote.
If Rice faces felony charges, “Goodell could place him on the league’s commissioner’s exempt list,” Taylor suggested. “Created in 2014 in the wake of the domestic violence case involving then-Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice, the exempt list allows the league to remove a player facing felony charges from the playing field and take that disciplinary decision away from the team.
“The exempt list is, in essence, a paid suspension during the regular season. The personal conduct policy states the NFL can also place a player on this list if league investigators want more time to look into allegations of a ‘crime of violence.'”
While Rice issued a personal apology to “everyone impacted” in the car crash, he’s yet to speak publicly on the incident.
The Chiefs Will ‘ReactAccordingly’ Once They Have All the Details Regarding Rashee Rice
GettyChiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice on August 19, 2023 in Glendale, Arizona.
The Chiefs have yet to put out a formal statement on Rice’s situation. However, team president Mark Donovan commented on the matter during an appearance on KCMO Talk Radio’s Pete Mundo on April 1, per AtoZ Sports.
“In all these situations you have to wait until you have all the facts and frankly, we don’t have all the facts at this point,” Donovan said. “The one comforting fact that we do have is that there was a multi-car crash in [Dallas, Texas], and fortunately, it doesn’t appear that anyone was hurt and we should be grateful for that. We’ll get to the bottom of it. We’ll gather the facts and we’ll react accordingly.”
Losing Rice, who quickly became Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes‘ top target last season, will be a tough blow. Rice finished the regular season with 79 receptions for 938 yards, trailing behind only tight end Travis Kelce in receptions and receiving yards.
The SMU alum led the team with 7 receiving touchdowns. In the playoffs, Rice recorded 26 catches for 262 yards and a touchdown. While Kansas City strengthened their receiving corps by signing Marquise “Hollywood” Brown to the roster, the Chiefs are predicted to draft a new weapon for Mahomes in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft.