The Kansas City Chiefs’ wide receiver Rashee Rice has been handed a six-game suspension for breaching the NFL’s personal conduct policy, according to ESPN sources, and will begin to serve his suspension at the start of the season.
Rice is set to be eligible for a return to the Chiefs in Week 7 prior to their October 19 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders. He was initially slated for a disciplinary hearing on September 30.
Sue L. Robinson, the previous U.S. district judge appointed by both the NFL and NFL Players Association as the disciplinary officer, was designated to oversee Rice’s case. The only other NFL disciplinary hearing she managed was Deshaun Watson’s in 2022.
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During July, Rice was sentenced to 30 days in jail along with five years of probation due to his involvement in a multi-vehicle accident in Dallas that resulted in injuries to several individuals during the 2024 offseason.
Rice, 25, admitted guilt in district court to two third-degree felony charges — collision causing serious bodily injury and racing on a highway resulting in bodily injury. He was granted deferred adjudication, and the case will be dismissed if he successfully completes his probation.
In his rookie season of 2023, Rice recorded 79 receptions for 938 yards and seven touchdown catches. Last year, he had a season-ending injury in Week 4 after tearing the lateral collateral ligament in his right knee, finishing with 24 catches for 288 yards and two touchdowns in those four games.
In an uncommon move on Tuesday, the Chiefs retained eight receivers — Rice, Xavier Worthy, Hollywood Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Tyquan Thornton, Nikko Remigio, Jason Brownlee, and rookie Jalen Royals — on their initial 53-man roster. This decision was made in case Rice negotiates a reduced suspension with the league, one that differs from the NFL’s original wish for at least an eight-game penalty.
