The Kansas City Chiefs' hopes of winning against the Chargers in their Friday game in Week 1 in Brazil just got a major boost.
Rashee Rice, expected to be facing a suspension, may be available.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Thursday that Rice's disciplinary hearing with the NFL isn't expected to take place until Sept. 30. That means a suspension likely wouldn't be handed down before then.
And before then, the Chiefs play four games, beginning with that opener against the Chargers and then facing the Eagles, the Giants and the Ravens.
Rice is expected to receive a multi-game suspension for speeding to cause a chain-reaction crash that injured multiple people. He was sentenced to 30 days in jail and five years of probation.
It just doesn't sound like it'll be arriving in time to stop Rice from playing at the start of the season.
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Rice spoke to ESPN's Nate Taylor recently about the suspension: "Honestly, it's still in the works. My legal team is handling that. All I can do is focus on what I can control right now, and that's me doing what I do best right here on the field."
He also shared how he has grown from this:
"I learned just how valuable any opportunity and moment is. This right here, us being able to be on the field and be coached by Coach [Andy] Reid and have such a great quarterback [Patrick Mahomes], is honestly a gift, a blessing. I've completely changed. Honestly, you have to learn from things like that. I've taken advantage of being able to learn from something like that."
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Rice was a star as a rookie, catching 79 passes for 938 yards and seven touchdowns in 2023.
He only made it to Week 4 in 2024 before a season-ending injury on a fluky collision. He had 24 catches for 288 yards and two touchdowns in less than four full games in 2024.
Rice should be Kansas City's No. 1 WR this season whenever he's on the field. It'll be a bit odd for rhythm if he begins the season active and then is suspended midway, but at least the Chiefs know the timeline now and can try to plan accordingly.
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