Rashee Rice to play in Chiefs’ season opener after NFL decision

The Kansas City Chiefs look set to have Rashee Rice in the team for their NFL season opener next month, but his future is less secure beyond that.

The NFL has set Rice’s disciplinary hearing to September 30, the date on which he will be issued with any league punishment for his role in a multi-car crash in Dallas, Texas last year. Rice has already been sentenced to 30 days in jail and five years of probation for his part in the incident, which left multiple people injured.

That September 30 date means that Rice should be eligible to play for the Chiefs in their first four games of the 2025 season before any punishment is handed out. Those games are against the Los Angeles Chargers in São Paulo, Brazil, followed by the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants and Baltimore Ravens.

Rice pleaded guilty in district court to two third-degree felony charges and was sentenced in court last month. Once the league has completed its disciplinary process, Rice is expected to receive a suspension that could be between four and six games, a major blow for the Chiefs as they look to bounce back from last season’s chastening Super Bowl loss.

For his part, Rice has been a fully engaged member of the Chiefs’ roster throughout preseason and he insists that he has sought to learn from his mistakes.

“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,” Rice told reporters. “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 Reid and have such a great quarterback, 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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