At some point, one might think the headaches associated with Rashee Rice will outweigh the benefits for the Kansas City Chiefs. Perhaps the latest troubling allegations will do it. I mean, you really can find somebody else out there who ranks 60th in receptions and 68th in receiving yards who isn’t going to find themselves in trouble every three weeks. It’s not that hard.
The National Football League (NFL) confirmed on Thursday that it is investigating domestic violence allegations against the wide receiver, following a social media post by his ex-girlfriend that included graphic photos of alleged injuries and accusations of prolonged abuse.
The allegations surfaced a day earlier when Dacoda Nichole Jones, who shares two children with Rice and describes an eight-year relationship with him, posted a series of images on Instagram showing bruises, cuts, and wounds on her body, as well as damage to her home.
While Jones did not explicitly name Rice in the post, she referred to the alleged abuser as the father of her children and claimed the abuse spanned several years. She also alleged more disturbing incidents, including a home break-in, destruction of property (such as “cutting up” her shoes), and infidelity.
“I’m so tired of keeping quiet. I’m so tired of protecting his image. I’ve been through too much in a span of 8 years, and I’ve had ENOUGH!” she wrote on Instagram.
His Checkered Past
Rashee seems to have trouble following him wherever he goes. And while he’ll almost certainly deny the allegations put out in the public sphere, he has an extremely checkered past. Rice earlier this season was suspended for causing a car accident that left multiple people seriously injured, and could have killed them.
He was arrested over a high-speed car crash last year and was facing eight felony charges from the incident. He lost control of a rented Lamborghini while racing another sports car on a Dallas highway at speeds of up to 119 MPH.
The resulting error triggered a six-vehicle chain-reaction crash that injured seven people, after which he fled the scene on foot without checking on the victims.
Rice later pleaded guilty to two felony charges—collision involving serious bodily injury and racing on a highway causing bodily injury—resulting in a 30-day jail sentence, five years of deferred probation, over $115,000 in restitution, and a six-game suspension by the league.
Rice was also accused, but not charged, of assaulting a person at a downtown Dallas nightclub at around 2:30 in the morning around that same time.
Reports claim that Rice was involved in a gun incident during his time at Southern Methodist University (SMU). He was alleged to have “fired multiple bullets into the empty car” of SMU basketball player Kendric Davis, according to Pro Football Talk.
Rashee Rice Under Investigation … Again
The Kansas City Chiefs issued a statement acknowledging the most recent situation: “The club is aware of the allegations on social media and is in communication with the National Football League. We have no further comment at this time.”
The NFL responded with its own statement confirming an investigation is underway.
“We have been in contact with the club about the matter, which will be reviewed under the league’s personal conduct policy,” the league told The New York Post.
And here’s a fun little reminder: Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce made light of Rice’s previous suspension, and by extension, the major accident he caused, earlier this season, mocking the NFL with “Free 4″ t-shirts. Four being his jersey number.
How bad do those shirts look now, Trav? I wonder if Taylor Swift has any thoughts on domestic violence.