The Chiefs suddenly received a major update on the ongoing legal saga of second-year WR Rashee Rice when the NFL announced Thursday that Rice not be placed on the Commissioner’s exemption list at the beginning of the year.
Rice will compete and play until his legal process is completed, according to initial comments from Roger Goodell earlier this summer.
Rice is expected to be suspended eventually, although it seems much more likely that any punishment will come in the 2025 season rather than this year.
The NFL is not expected to place Rashee Rice on paid leave by placing him on the commissioner’s exempt list. The league is expected to make a decision on a possible suspension for Rice once the legal process is complete, the source said, so he will remain eligible to play in the meantime.
— MarkMaske (@MarkMaske) 28 August 2024
With the Week 1 game against the Baltimore Ravens just seven days away, it makes sense for the league to hold off on a suspension. If Rice was going to be penalized early in the season, that announcement would have been made weeks ago.
Instead, Goodell and the NFL are content to wait for the legal process to play out before making a final decision.
This is great news for the Chiefs, who need Rice to take control of the AFC and potentially win a third straight game. Rice became the team’s best wide receiver in his rookie season, catching 79 passes for 938 yards and seven touchdowns.
Rice is expected to face punishment for his involvement in the Dallas car crash in March, but he is currently cleared for 2024 and, barring an upset, should be on the roster for the entire season.
Given Hollywood Brown’s injury and the number of new receivers on the team, Rice should continue to produce the most pass receivers as one of the key members of the offense.
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