Rashee Rice discipline takes wild turn as NFL changes its suspension ask

As the 2025 NFL season gets closer, the picture for Rashee Rice's suspension is getting clearer (although it's crazy just how much things have been drawn out for the Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver). The latest news from ESPN reporter Adam Schefter has the league wanting a six-game suspension for Rice to start the season.

Early reports had the league chasing a suspension reaching double digit games missed, or more than a half season, for his part in causing a multi-vehicular accident on a Dallas highway that resulted in damage and injuries in April 2024.

A previous report had the Chiefs believing the resulting punishment for Rice would be far fewer games than that. Per Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer, Kansas City's internal belief was 4-6 games missed.

Adam Schefter has the latest word on what the NFL wants for Rashee Rice's punishment.

Per Matt Nagy, the Chiefs were planning for any outcome for Rice for quite some time, meaning there were internal roster construction plans for dealing with an early-season absence for Rice.

That said, the wrinkle here is that Rice is scheduled for a September 30 hearing with a neutral party, an arbitrator who will hear both sides to decide the ultimate punishment for the Chiefs wideout. However, it's also possible that Rice would agree to a deal beforehand to put the matter to rest.

It's possible the Chiefs were already gearing up for this with the decision to keep a shocking amount of wide receivers on the 53-man active roster. General manager Brett Veach decided to keep eight WRs, including Jason Brownlee, Nikko Remigio, and Tyquan Thornton—all of which were on the roster bubble at various points this summer.

If Rice begins the season on the league's suspended list, then it means K.C. will have seven wide receivers in place to handle the offensive loss and distribute the targets of Patrick Mahomes' most trusted weapon.

Rice is returning from an injury-shortened season in 2024, one in which he had 24 catches for 288 yards and 2 touchdowns in three full games.