For All Involved, Why Rice Decision Better Sooner Than Later

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Understandably, Rashee Rice and the NFLPA last week balked at the NFL’s initial suspension proposal, a reported 10 games. Rice’s decision to object triggered a holding pattern. Now, resolution on his suspension under the NFL's personal conduct policy might not come until after his scheduled Sept. 30 hearing with Judge Sue L. Robinson.

Sports Illustrated senior writer Albert Breer said Monday that settling the case now, and not waiting until after the Chiefs’ Week 4 game, is in the best interest of all involved.

“Waiting that long serves no one,” Breer wrote in Monday’s edition of the MMQB. “The NFL, to me, should be motivated to come down on Rice here, if for no other reason than street racing has become a significant problem, not just with pro football players, but college football players as well.”

Jul 22, 2025; St. Joseph, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice (4) catches a pass as linebacker Leo Chenal (54) defends during training camp at Missouri Western State University. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Reid says team will do what it has to do

Head coach Andy Reid said Monday that the team hasn’t heard anything more on Rice’s situation, other than the scheduled Sept. 30 hearing.

“They've got to work all that out,” Reid said. “I don't know the details of it. I don't think anybody does right at this minute, so we'll see where it all goes. … We'll do what we have to do.”

If Rice is on the active roster in Week 2, he’ll play against Jalen Carter when the Eagles visit Kansas City. Before joining Philadelphia in the first round of the 2023 draft, Carter was involved in a fatal car wreck that killed a University of Georgia teammate and a member of the Bulldogs’ recruiting staff.

That incident also seriously injured a former Georgia recruiting analyst, who is reportedly seeking at least $5 million in damages from Carter. The crash occurred in the early morning hours of Jan. 15, 2023, with the team celebrating its College Football Playoff national title.

A Texas judge on July 17 sentenced Rice to five years of probation and 30 days in jail for his role in a March 2024 crash that caused multiple injuries. Rice pleaded guilty to two third-degree felonies.

Breer also said he understood why Rice’s camp wouldn’t want to be the NFL’s street-racing guinea pig – especially paying a suspension only one game shorter than Deshaun Watson’s 11-game ban in his first year with the Cleveland Browns, 2022.

Oct 20, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) throws a pass during the first quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Waiting for hearing could delay suspension until early-to-mid October

Should the NFL not come to agreement with Rice and the players’ union prior to Sept. 30, the hearing with Robinson could delay the final decision even further into the season. That cloud would hang over the Chiefs and the league in midseason, rather than what seems to best for all involved, getting it out of the way beginning with Week 1.

“On the NFL side,” Breer said, “it becomes a story connected to one of their most prominent teams. The Chiefs have four stand-alone prime-time games in the first six weeks of the season. If Rice is playing, the case would be a hard-to-avoid topic on those broadcasts (although we’ve seen some broadcasters in the past willfully avoid talking about stuff like this, which is another issue for another day).

The Chiefs undoubtedly would like more clarity on the suspension sooner rather than later, since they have a brewing roster-numbers issue with final cutdowns approaching on Aug. 26. Knowing Rice would begin the season on the reserve/suspended list would open a valuable roster spot for one of the receivers they’d like to keep.

Aug 9, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice (4) against the Arizona Cardinals during a preseason NFL game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

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