The Kansas City Chiefs are still waiting for a verdict on a potential suspension for second-year wideout Rashee Rice. But according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the verdict could come as late as 2025.
“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 said on SportsCenter on June 29, via On3Sports. “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.
“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.”
Jeremy Fowler’s Report Echoes What Ian Rapoport Said During Draft
Fowler’s reporting on Rice’s suspension verdict falls in line with what NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport said on Day 3 of the 2024 NFL Draft.
“As you guys laid out, the offense without Rashee Rice there, what we don’t know is whether or not he’ll be eligible to start the season with the Kansas City Chiefs. And really this depends on how quickly the legal process plays out,” Rapoport said on NFL Network, via A to Z Sports. If his case is – and he’s been charged with, I believe six charges – if his case wraps up, then there is potential the NFL could issue its discipline and he would likely be suspended. If the case is still ongoing, as we’ve seen with several others, then likely he’d be eligible to play this season. Discipline would be handled the following season. So the timing is really an issue, not whether or not he’ll actually be suspended.”
Rice’s potential suspension is due to his involvement in a multi-car crash in Dallas, Texas on March 30.
Rice, 24, participated in Phase III of Kansas City’s offseason program and was a standout during mandatory minicamp.
Chiefs Ready to Increase Rashee Rice’s Workload
Speaking to the media during organized team activities (OTAs) on May 22, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid detailed the usage plan for Rice as he enters his second season with Kansas City.
“Obviously, we’re going to increase what he does (and) at the same time, make sure he takes what he wasn’t doing well last year and working on that,” Reid said. “We try to do that with all of the guys, so we try to give him a little bit more but at the same time, making sure that we don’t forget about the things from last year.”
During his rookie season, Rice recorded 79 receptions on 102 targets for 938 yards and 7 touchdowns in 16 regular season games, according to Pro Football Reference. In four playoff games, he recorded 26 receptions on 33 targets for 262 yards and 1 touchdown.
Rice’s 938 receiving yards during the regular season were the second most by a rookie in franchise history.
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Insider Projects Timeline for Chiefs WR Rashee Rice’s Suspension Verdict