The Chiefs likely won't have starting second-year receiver Rashee Rice for their Week 1 showdown against the Ravens.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Monday that the Chiefs are "bracing for a multi-game suspension" following Rice's two off-field incidents this spring. Rice was implicated and later charged in a multi-car hit-and-run accident in Dallas in April. Assault allegations surfaced weeks later stemming from an altercation at a nightclub with Rice and a photographer, although those were later dropped.
"The facts right now are such that they are against Rashee Rice and we'll see what the investigation turns up," Schefter said. "But there is certainly concern within the organization considering what has happened this offseason. ... There is a slew of incidents the league is sifting through that is likely to result in a multi-game suspension."
.@AdamSchefter shares the latest update on Rashee Rice and his potential suspension from the NFL. pic.twitter.com/J6jmlKbkSe
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) May 13, 2024
The NFL's personal conduct policy is difficult to project when it comes to suspensions, but Rice's multiple offenses in a short span this offseason don't bode well for his availability early in the 2024 season. The league was coy about a suspension for Rice when commissioner Roger Goodell was asked about it during the 2024 NFL Draft.
A similar situation unfolded in 2023 when the league suspended Saints running back Alvin Kamara for three games to start the 2023 season after he was arrested and charged with battery in a 2022 altercation in Vegas.
If Rice were to miss time, the Chiefs would expect free-agent acquisition Marquise Brown and 2024 first-round pick Xavier Worthy to step up as Patrick Mahomes' top receiver options. Tight end Travis Kelce remains the main target for Mahomes, but Brown and Worthy could quickly become key contributors for KC if Rice were to miss multiple games.
The Chiefs will open the season at home against the Ravens on Sept. 5