Chiefs' Rashee Rice gives update on suspension timeline, length

Billy Heyen

•

Chiefs' Rashee Rice gives update on suspension timeline, length image

The expectation is that Rashee Rice will be suspended.

But when that suspension from the NFL is coming, or for how long it'll be, have yet to be determined for the Kansas City Chiefs' star wide receiver.

Rice spoke to ESPN's Nate Taylor on Saturday about the potential punishment 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.

On the NFL suspension, Rice said:

"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."

MORE: Micah Parsons breaks silence on his trade request

Rice shared how he has grown from his troubles, too.

"I learned just how valuable any opportunity and moment is," Rice told ESPN. "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."

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.

MORE: Buccaneers' coach reveals chances of Shilo Sanders making Tampa Bay NFL roster

Rice is expected to be the Chiefs' No. 1 WR this season when healthy, but reports at the time of his sentencing expected there to be a multi-game suspension.

Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio also adds:

"With the Chiefs’ regular-season opener only four weeks and six days away, it’s also possible that Rice would be available for Week 1 and beyond, until the case and any potential appeal have been resolved."

There's a lot still to be figured out here.

MORE NFL NEWS:

Billy Heyen

Billy Heyen is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He is a 2019 graduate of Syracuse University who has written about many sports and fantasy sports for The Sporting News. Sports reporting work has also appeared in a number of newspapers, including the Sandusky Register and Rochester Democrat & Chronicle