Two Approaches the NFL Could Take with Chiefs' Rice Suspension

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice was sentenced to 30 days in jail with five years of probation earlier this week due to his involvement in a multi-car crash back in 2024. With that information released and now a verdict, the National Football League is likely to suspend Rice for several games this season.

Rice is returning to the Chiefs in 2025 after an LCL injury sidelined him for the majority of the 2024 campaign. While this throws a wrench in the plan for the Chiefs and being explosive on offense this season, the NFL has to hand down a punishment they deem fit for Rice's off-the-field actions.

It hasn't yet been released how many games Rice will be suspended for, but the suspension is likely to take place for the 2025 campaign. With that said, there are two avenues that the NFL could go down when handing Rice a suspension. Below is Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio's breakdown of the situation at hand.

Scenario 1

"I'll use these two examples because I think it's the best way to encapsulate it, even though the conduct at issue is dramatically different. There's the Justin Tucker outcome. There's the Deshawn Watson outcome," Florio said.

"The Tucker outcome goes like this. The league proposes a suspension to Rice. Rice and the league negotiate the terms of the suspension. They reach an agreement on a number of games. Six, eight, 10, I don't know. Let's say eight. Let's say the league wants 10, Rice wants six. They settle on eight."

"That's how negotiation happens often. Eight games, it's done. It's over and it's served to start the season. And after the eighth game, he's back. He's clear. He's paid his debt to the league and his debt to society. And off he goes, subject to his remaining probation."

Scenario 2

"The other path is the Deshaun Watson path, and that is whatever the league offers, whatever the league proposes by way of a suspension is too much for Rashee Rice. And he says, "No, no, I will pursue my rights. You have to take this to a hearing before Judge Sue L. Robinson. Let her decide what the punishment should be. Let's have the appeal."

"That goes back to the commissioner. The commissioner can't change any of the facts that are deter determined by Judge Robinson, but the commissioner can change the number of games or whatever punishment is imposed."

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