With the start of the regular season rapidly approaching, it’s seeming increasingly likely that Rashee Rice will be available for Week 1. A source told Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com that the NFL hasn’t met with nor interviewed the Chiefs wideout about any of his offseason legal issues, a major indication that Rice will be allowed to play at the beginning of the campaign.
[RELATED: Chiefs WR Rashee Rice: “I’ve Learned So Much”]
As Florio notes, there are two possible paths to Rice being unavailable for the start of the 2024 season. The receiver could be suspended without pay under the Personal Conduct Policy. However, the NFL won’t take any action until the legal process is played out. Florio notes that even if Rice’s case was resolved today, there still wouldn’t be enough time for the NFL to complete a disciplinary process that now includes a third party.
The second path would be the Commissioner Exempt list, but Florio believes this is an unlikely outcome. While Rice’s felony charge would fall under that “paid leave” umbrella, Florio notes that the NFL generally reserves the Commissioner Exempt list for domestic violence cases. Further, Florio opines that if the receiver was indeed destined for this list, the move would have already happened. To top it off, the NFL provided a statement to PFT hinting that an eventual unpaid suspension is the likelier outcome:
“We have been monitoring developments in the matter. Following the conclusion of the legal process, the NFL will review the matter under the Personal Conduct Policy.”
This offseason has been one filled with legal issues for the second-year pro. Rice is facing a total of eight felony charges stemming from a hit-and-run incident in Dallas on the evening of March 30. About a month later, Rice was accused of punching a photographer at a Dallas nightclub. That latter incident likely won’t lead to charges, although it could still be grouped into a potential suspension.
So, while Rice will likely eventually face NFL punishment, it probably won’t come until the legal process is completed. Until then, the wideout will be allowed to play for the Chiefs.
Man being on an nfl team is nice. Dude was clearly drunk, otherwise why run? He’s facing 8 charges, but can still play cause he doesn’t beat women. Wow!
You don’t have to be drunk to make stupid decisions. He was racing, lost control, caused an accident and decided he should leave the scene. There were no charges related to drinking.
While the charges may not reflect a DUI, the sentence will. Leaving the scene of an accident is an automatic assumption that you were impaired and the punishment is the same. Better pray he doesn’t have any credit card receipts or security footage of him buying booze. This is also just the criminal case, the civil suits will follow. This dude is in big trouble.
That’s not how court works. He must be found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Courts don’t make assumptions because you bought something. He could just argue he drank it at any other point, or gave it away. Despite the obvious, charges won’t stick without proof.
Like I said, why else would he run?
The NFLPA Card that he carries tells him that walking away is the smartest thing to do.
Wow! This is the first I’ve heard of alcohol being involved, so therefore, it MUST be true. SMGDH
If he wasn’t a high-profile player on a team like KC, would he still be playing? I think everyone knows the answer…
If he wasn’t a high-profile player, would he still be playing? I think everyone knows the answer…
There, I fixed it for you.
It seems “fix” is the appropriate word
At first I was a bit surprised, but I suppose that it makes sense to wait. More facts are due to be released after the resolution of Rice’s case than before, anyway, and this will especially be true after the civil cases (s) get through, if they’re not settled first. It also makes sense, in the case if the latter, to let the victims get their due before Rice is punished preemptively by the league. The downside, is of course, that Rice would allowed to play for a long time in the interim, because of how long the legal process takes, but at the end of the day, that’s no different than any other person.
The two concerns that I have are that the NFL will gloss this over and that the Exempt list is not being considered in the meantime. I don’t want the Exempt list to get too popular-there are cases of innocent or questionably guilty parties being shuffled over there unfairly-but in this case, there is pretty obvious evidence to at least consider parking Rice there for a while. I get waiting on the ultimate punishment, that makes sense, but I don’t get why the Exempt list should be, well, exempt.
Since when does the NFL need evidence of any kind to suspend someone?
He’s only allowed to play because he was lucky enough not to have killed someone, thank god. The kid is still a dumb-ass, idiot punk who has no respect for anybody or anything. I hope he has a horrible season as he deserves all the aggravation he gets, just like the aggravation he caused those who he injured with his driving.
So Martavis Bryant is out of the league for SIX seasons for weed but Rice should be available Week 1
Fascinating
Martavis Bryant was not out of the league for six seasons for weed. Marijuana was the beginning of his issues it appears. He was suspended indefinitely for violating the terms of his conditional reinstatement on multiple occasions.
I believe his point remains that Bryant’s issues were minor in comparison to this dolt. Rice has admitted involvement in the crash and faces charges for eight alleged felonies, which should be an automatic suspension. NFL penalties are a joke and typically come down harder on inconsequential players.
Rodger Goodell and the NFLPA took it hard from the media, fans, and owners when he suspended Ezekiel Elliott for six games for an off field offense before he was found guilty. The incident brough about changes in the labor agreement dealing with who had what kind of power.
It cannot be both ways depending on how people feel. Either the Commissioner and NFLPA can impose punishment before a player is found guilty, or they cannot.
Not exactly. Plenty of players test positive for weed. Nearly all of them smoke. Bryant, like Josh Gordon, got suspended for continually ignoring the rules about it. He got suspended for disregarding the rules. The weed was only the impetus. I think that everyone knows why he was out and others are not.
Even if he’s available for week 1 do you want a player this stupid on your fantasy league team?
Hard to imagine the league’s Personal Conduct Policy would somehow have an out clause for drag racing on a public street, crashing into six cars, leaving the scene of an accident without helping victims, and having MJ in your car (as well as your Chief’s playbook).
Waiting for the judicial system process to take place is just a cop out, as many other players never got such consideration.
Waiting is what the NFL SHOULD do, but as you said, it creates a problem because it’s what they HAVEN’T done in the past. They should establish waiting as a precedent (isn’t that what the Exempt list is for?), but if they just suddenly start now, it makes all of the other premature cases look suspicious by comparison.
Is Andy Reid the front runner for father of the year again?
Only domestic violence matters? Not surprising… I guess this is the same league that let Donte Stallworth continue playing for years after he pled guilty to killing Mario Reyes. I wonder how they’d handle a situation like Wander Franco’s, where no domestic violence has been alledged.