Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice will almost certainly face some type of suspension following his eventful offseason. Back in April, the wide receiver was responsible for a six-car crash after driving 119 miles per hour in a Lamborghini. The former second-round pick left the scene of the crime without checking in on the potentially injured civilians before eventually surrendering himself to the police. Shortly after this event, police investigated Rice for allegedly assaulting a photographer in a nightclub.
With the regular season less than two months away, one would expect the NFL to hand out punishment before too long. However, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid says he has yet to hear anything about a potential Rashee Rice suspension.
“Yeah, I don’t know about that. I haven’t heard anything up to this point,” Reid said. “So, I just let all the people in charge do that – that are looking over that part of it.”
Andy Reid: “I Haven’t Heard Anything” About A Rashee Rice Suspension
It’s worth noting that Rice will not have charges for his alleged involvement in the nightclub assault. However, the United States threshold of guilt is far higher than the NFL’s, as the league has the right to discipline its players as it sees fit. It’s also difficult to find any rhyme or reason for how the length of these suspensions is determined. Back in 2014, Goodell gave Ravens running back Ray Rice a two-game suspension for a domestic violence incident. However, once video surfaced of the incident, the league changed its mind and made the suspension indefinite, despite Rice being forward about what happened.
This is all one long way of saying that nobody knows what a Rashee Rice suspension will look like. While the length is yet to be determined, it’s safe to assume the wide receiver will miss some time thanks to his offseason actions. So, if he has to miss significant time, how will the Chiefs replace his production?
Chiefs Without Rice
Last year’s Kansas City Chiefs would’ve struggled to overcome a Rashee Rice suspension. While Travis Kelce remained a reliable threat, the star tight end didn’t look like his unstoppable self during large chunks of the regular season. The rest of the depth chart, meanwhile, lacked reliable playmakers. Kadarius Toney and Skyy Moore actively sabotaged their fair share of plays, Marquez Valdes-Scantling was a one-trick pony, and Justyn Ross failed to justify his offseason hype.
Fortunately, the Chiefs aggressively addressed their wide receiver need in the offseason. Marquise Brown should be a sizable improvement on Valdes-Scantling, and first-round pick Xavier Worthy has game-breaking potential. Combining these two with Travis Kelce, Patrick Mahomes, and Andy Reid means the Chiefs have all the firepower they need to overcome a short-term Rashee Rice suspension. However, if Rice misses a sizable chunk of the season, the team could look into signing someone like Hunter Renfrow to steal some targets. Renfrow will never recapture his 2021 magic, but he’s a more reliable option than Toney and Moore.
Main Photo: Kirby Lee – USA Today Sports
