Kansas City Chiefs receiver Rashee Rice accepted a six-game suspension from the NFL on Wednesday as a result of a 2024 car crash, the league announced.
Early reports Wednesday suggested the NFL was seeking at least six games for Rice, with the suspension kicking in at the start of the 2025 NFL season. That will now be the case, making Rice available to return to the Chiefs ahead of their Week 7 game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
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The news comes after Rice was sentenced in July to 30 days in jail and five years' probation for his part in the crash. At the time of the crash, Rice's lawyer confirmed that his client was driving a Lamborghini that was racing a Corvette involved in an accident with three other vehicles on a highway in northeast Dallas. He was driving 119 mph just before the crash occurred, according to a police report.
The drivers of the Lamborghini and Corvette fled the scene without providing any information or checking if anyone involved in the crash required medical attention. At least four people were injured in the crash. Rice turned himself in to the police nine days after the incident.
He faced eight charges for his role in the crash, including six counts of collision causing bodily injury, one count of collision causing serious bodily injury and one count of aggravated assault.
Two people involved in the accident sued Rice and Teddy Knox, who allegedly drove the Corvette, for $1 million in negligence and punitive damages — a lawsuit that was settled during the offseason, in favor of the plaintiffs, Dallas County court records indicate.
The lawsuit claimed that numerous injuries from the crash, including “trauma to the brain, lacerations to the face requiring stitches, multiple contusions about the body, disfigurement, internal bleeding, and other internal and external injuries that may only be fully revealed over the course of medical treatment.”
Rice was also suspected of assaulting a photographer in May, but the alleged victim dropped the charges and Rice incurred no punishment from the league.
While the car crash occurred during the 2024 offseason, the NFL waited until Rice's legal situation concluded before issuing a punishment. That didn't occur until July, when Rice pleaded guilty to two felonies related to the crash in July. The NFL reportedly sought a longer suspension for Rice initially, with reports suggesting the NFL wanted him to miss double-digit games.
Prior to Wednesday's agreement, it was unclear when Rice would serve his suspension. In August, it was reported that Rice's disciplinary hearing would take place Sept. 30, potentially allowing him to play in the Chiefs' first four games before a suspension kicked in. Rice reportedly received clearance to travel to Brazil for the team's Week 1 game against the Los Angeles Chargers, which caused some to believe he would be available to play in the contest. That will no longer be the case.
After a promising rookie season, Rice was limited to just four games last year after sustaining a knee injury while trying to make a tackle after a Patrick Mahomes interception. Prior to the injury, Rice emerged as Mahomes' go-to target. In those four games, Rice hauled in 24 catches for 288 yards and two scores. Rice is expected to be Mahomes' top target in 2025 when he returns from his reported suspension in Week 7.
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