Rusty Weiss
The Kansas City Chiefs are reportedly preparing to be without a significant piece of their offense for a good chunk of the 2024-2025 NFL season. A Rashee Rice suspension could be coming down the pike.
NFL insider James Palmer made the claim during a podcast appearance with former wide receiver Steve Smith. Palmer says that the team is preparing to be without Rice for “half a season at least.”
Being without a key player and trusted target for quarterback Patrick Mahomes could significantly impact the season for the defending world champs.
𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚: The #Chiefs expect Rashee Rice to be suspended at least half the upcoming season, per @JamesPalmerTVpic.twitter.com/pWQqnydADK
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) May 1, 2024
RELATED: Kansas City Chiefs’ Rashee Rice Turns Himself Into Police
A Suspension For Rashee Rice Is The Least Of His Problems
By now, Rice’s legal issues are well known to readers of Bounding Into Sports. Video captured the NFL player driving a Lamborghini alongside a Chevrolet Corvette at a high rate of speed.
Eventually, both cars lost control, resulting in a multi-car accident.
A woman has told Dallas Morning News that the drivers in this crash put her and her 4 year old at risk. This is allegedly dashcam video of the crash. Still at this point, Rashee Rice has not been criminally charged pic.twitter.com/vsHi2Ge7FH https://t.co/oZoId5tbIb
— Anthony Russo (@Anthony_Russo97) March 31, 2024
The accident involved six vehicles in total. Four people were treated for minor injuries, two of whom had to be evaluated at the hospital.
An arrest warrant had been issued for Rice, who admitted to driving the Lamborghini. He eventually turned himself into the police.
Rice is now facing eight charges in connection with his role in the accident. They include one count of aggravated assault, one count of collision involving serious bodily injury, and six counts of collision involving injury.
RELATED: Kansas City Chiefs’ Rashee Rice Is Being Sought By Police
How Does This Affect The Chiefs?
Rice was a rookie in 2023 but quickly blossomed into an integral part of the Kansas City Chiefs offense. He had 79 catches for 938 yards and 7 touchdowns in his first NFL season.
In Super Bowl LVIII, he grabbed 6 catches for 39 yards as the Chiefs defeated the 49ers, 25-22. In doing so, those 6 catches earned him the record for most postseason receptions by a rookie.
He is not an insignificant piece of the offense. Rashee Rice’s suspension could have a big impact on the team’s on-field play.
To Palmer’s point, the Chiefs may very well be preparing for life without Rice. The team selected Xavier Worthy with their first-round pick in the NFL draft.
Worthy is a blistering-fast wide receiver out of the University of Texas.
Several mock drafts had the Chiefs picking an offensive lineman in the first round, though explosiveness at the wide receiver position is a need for the Super Bowl champs if they hope to repeat.