Kansas City Chiefs HC Andy Reid sets on-field expectations for WR Rashee Rice ahead of 2025 training camp

Kansas City Chiefs HC Andy Reid spoke about Rashee Rice for the first time since the wide receiver was sentenced for his involvement in a 2024 Dallas, Texas, multi-vehicle crash. 

With Rice's legal situation now behind him, the next step is for the league to enforce its personal conduct policy with a suspension for the third-year wide receiver. While Rice will almost certainly serve out a multi-game suspension to start the 2025 NFL season, the Chiefs aren't about to change anything with their process during training camp, according to Reid. 

"As far as Rashee (Rice) goes, I mean, that's obvious news out there now," Reid began.  "We're going to progress as normal with him. He'll go in and take all the reps that he'd normally take, and we always rotate that position. So, depending on what happens here in the future, whoever needs to play will be able to step in. They'll know what they're doing and be in good shape to do it. But we're just going to, like I said, just progress as normal."

Players who are suspended to start the season are able to participate in training camp activities. The Chiefs had a similar situation with DE Charles Omenihu a few seasons ago, where he was set to serve a multi-game suspension, yet the coaching staff kept him in the lineup as if he were slated to be a starter. 

There's a deep-rooted belief that there's more than enough snaps to go around with the rotations the team typically has. So, that's to say, whoever will slot in as a starter in for Rice during his suspension will have enough snaps under his belt, even if they continue to give Rice an outsized portion of snaps with the first team offense. 

The Chiefs have good reason to get Rice on the field and keep him involved, too. He's still working his way back from a season-ending knee injury in 2024, and he's going to need all the repetitions he can possibly get to prepare for the upcoming season. 

As for when a Rice suspension might be announced by the NFL or for how long it might be, your guess is as good as Coach Reid's at this time. He said he hasn't had any communication with the league about it to this point. 

"No," Reid said. "I don't have anything." 

It'll remain a mystery until it happens, but I'd expect something much closer to the start of the 2025 NFL season.