The Kansas City Chiefs know that the 2025 season is their chance to show the league that even when they fall, they are able to get back up. Kansas City fell one win shy of a three peat when the Philadelphia Eagles dominated Super Bowl 59.
Now, Kansas City is learning of some good news just before the start of the season.
NFL Hands Chiefs Massive Suspension News Prior To 2025 Season (Report)
As Rashee Rice prepares for another breakout season with the Kansas City Chiefs, he is also treading a legal tightrope that may have a lasting impact on his NFL career:
On one hand, he’s catching passes and talking confidently about the 2025 offense. On the other, he’s still facing eight felony charges from a street racing crash that made national headlines last year.
It’s a strange split-screen moment. One version of Rice is grinding through the offseason with Super Bowl expectations. The other is stuck in legal limbo, with the league waiting and watching.
As far as the NFL is concerned, nothing happens until the court case is over. And there’s still no clear end in sight.
According to multiple league insiders, including ProFootballTalk, the NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy prevents any formal suspension from happening until Rice’s criminal case reaches a conclusion. As of now, there’s no sign of that happening anytime soon. The case continues to move slowly, and the longer it stretches out, the more it benefits Rice’s playing availability.
While the league has the authority to place players on paid leave during ongoing investigations, it has chosen not to do so in Rice’s case. That decision isn’t final. If new evidence surfaces or the nature of the case shifts, the NFL could revisit that stance. But for now, league officials haven’t indicated any change.
According to sources close to the situation, Rice’s current unofficial plan is to play through the 2024 season, resolve the legal case in the offseason, and then face a likely suspension ahead of the 2025 campaign. That timeline, however, is far from guaranteed. If the case drags on, Rice could potentially play all of 2025 before facing any league discipline.
That possibility raises obvious questions about fairness and consistency, especially given how quickly the NFL has acted in past off-field incidents. But the slow pace of prosecution has allowed Rice to remain on the field. Even if the legal proceedings wrapped up today, the league’s review process, including a potential hearing with disciplinary officer Sue Robinson, would take time.
For now, Rice’s focus remains on football. If he stays healthy and builds on his strong rookie campaign, he’ll be in a position to negotiate a sizable second contract after 2025. But the cloud of unresolved felony charges isn’t going anywhere just yet.
