As the 2024 NFL Draft nears, the Kansas City Chiefs will likely have to prioritize adding another pass-catcher even more with wide receiver Rashee Rice reportedly facing a suspension that will sideline him for a portion of the 2024 season.
On March 30, Rice was driving a Lamborghini Urus and involved in street racing with a Corvette in Dallas on a Saturday afternoon. Both drivers lost control of their vehicles, resulting in a multi-car crash that sent two people to the hospital and injured several others.
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- Rashee Rice contract: $1.476 million cap hit in 2024, $1.771 million cap hit in 2025, $2.066 million cap hit in 2026
After fleeing from the scene and not contacting police for roughly 48 hours, Rice later got in contact with authorities and turned himself in. He took full responsibility for the crash and is now facing eight charges, including one count of aggravated assault, one count of collision involving serious bodily injury and six counts of collision involving injury.
The Chiefs’ second-year receiver is also facing a multi-million dollar lawsuit, with the victims of the crash seeking at least $10 million in punitive damages. While the NFL is letting the legal process unfold before taking action, there will be significant discipline for Rice.
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Rice is expected to be disciplined by the NFL with the ruling expected to result in ‘at least’ a multi-game suspension.
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- Rashee Rice stats 2023: 79 receptions, 938 receiving yards, 11.9 yards per reception, 7 touchdowns
While the NFL Players Association will appeal any discipline handed down by the league, the NFL does seemingly view this as an opportunity to send a message to its players. Rice’s incident came just over a year after Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter, then a member of the Georgia Bulldogs, was accused of street racing which played a role in the death of a Bulldogs’ teammate and a staffer in the other car.
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All of this came after Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs pled guilty to the high-speed crash in Las Vegas in 2021, when he was driving at speeds up to 156 mph on city streets, before striking a car, with the crash killing 23-year-old Tina Tintor and her dog.
There were no fatalities in Rice’s crash, but it was the latest incident of an NFL player driving recklessly and endangering the lives of those around him. As a result, he could be used as an example by the league to send a message to players moving forward.