The Kansas City Chiefs have worked hard on revamping their offense this offseason, although much of their success will depend on how Patrick Mahomes looks once he eventually returns from his ACL injury. Regardless of who is under center, though, Kansas City is hoping that star wide receiver Rashee Rice can make a consistent impact in 2026 after missing considerable time last season.
Whether it be due to injuries or off-field issues, Rice has struggled to consistently make himself available for the Chiefs early on in his career. On Tuesday, it was revealed that Rice is now set to spend 30 days in jail after he violated his probation, and now that even more drama is surrounding him, he drew a strong $40 million warning regarding his contract situation from NFL insider Adam Schefter.
Rashee Rice Could Miss Out on Contract Worth $40 Million Per Year
Cc: @tyschmit
Since entering the pros as a second-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Rice has looked the part of a star when he’s been on the field. Thanks to a myriad of issues, though, he’s only played in 28 of a possible 51 games through the first three seasons of his career. That has made it tough for the Chiefs to truly rely on him as a focal point of their offense.
Rice’s situation is complicated for a couple of reasons, but his contract is becoming an increasingly big part of the conversation now. The 2026 campaign will be the final year of his rookie deal, and Kansas City seemingly doesn’t have any indication as to whether or not Rice is a player worth investing in.
Now that he’s spending a couple of weeks in jail, the Chiefs need to have some serious internal discussions when it comes to Rice’s contract situation. If you ask Schefter, just by taking a look at some of the contracts other top wide receivers have earned in recent years, he thinks Rice could be throwing away a deal worth $40 million per year if he can’t find a way to get his act together.
“What I think of here is the opportunity that he is squandering,” Schefter said on “The Adam Schefter Podcast.” “If Rashee Rice were a clean player with no off-the-field issues, with no injuries, we’d be talking about a new contract this offseason in excess of $40 million a year.”
What Should the Chiefs Do with Rashee Rice?
GettyDENVER, COLORADO – NOVEMBER 16: Rashee Rice #4 of the Kansas City Chiefs runs onto the field during the game against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High on November 16, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images)
The problem with committing such a large sum of money to Rice is that, if he can’t stay out of trouble off the field, or if he continues to struggle with injuries, the Chiefs are going to be in trouble. Again, Rice was stellar in his eight games on the field last season (53 REC, 571 YDS, 5 TD), but he played so sparingly because he was serving a six-game suspension after he was ruled to have violated the NFL’s personal conduct policy.
Now that he has once again found himself in trouble off the field (as he rehabs from surgery he underwent to clean up a knee injury, nonetheless), Kansas City could find itself asking some hard questions about Rice sooner than it expected. Chances are, the team will let him play out the final year of his rookie deal, but if things continue to go south for Rice, the Chiefs may have no choice but to move on from him.
Chiefs’ Rashee Rice Draws $40 Million Warning After Recent Arrest