How Many Games Will Rashee Rice Be Suspended?

A Dallas County judge sentenced Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice to five years of probation and 30 days of probationary jail time on Thursday, relating to a hit-and-run car crash in 2024.

Rice emerged as the Chiefs' leading receiver during the 2023 Super Bowl run and was leading the league in receptions before his season-ending injury in Week 4 last year. So, the length of his inevitable suspension is of great interest to the Chiefs, the rest of the league, and us fantasy football owners. 

For background, the NFL reserves the right, under the Personal Conduct Policy, to suspend a player for as long as it wants. The process is often random and based on various additional factors that the league can choose to either consider or ignore.

The process also moves slowly. The NFL typically takes 60–90 days from the conclusion of a criminal case to impose discipline.

With the regular season just 49 days away, fantasy owners may have to start their draft not knowing how many games Rice will miss. Not ideal. Nonetheless, let's review what we know right and try to guess how long the NFL might suspend Rice:

First, the details. Rice admits that he was racing his friends while driving 120 miles per hour, resulting in a six-car pile-up. A video then captured him fleeing the scene of the wreck.

Here's a summary of the legal process, via ChiefsDigest beat reporter Matt Derrick:

"Rice initially faced eight charges stemming from the accident, including six counts of collision involving bodily injury, one count of collision involving serious bodily injury, and one count of aggravated assault. The six counts of collision with bodily injury carried a maximum sentence of not more than five years, a fine up to $5,000, or both. The count involving serious bodily injury carried a minimum of two years in prison if convicted, but no more than 10 years. The aggravated assault charge for a conviction carried a sentence of between two to 20 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine."

How Many Games Will Rashee Rice Be Suspended?

Derrick adds that team sources are bracing for a two- to four-game ban but admits the team may be "optimistic." Other reporters are less optimistic. Underdog NFL reporter James Palmer reported last year that sources around the league believed the NFL could suspend Rice for eight games. CBS NFL insider Jonathan Jones says he would set the suspension range at five to seven games.

Well, that doesn't help us much, does it?

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice was driving nearly 120 miles per hour seconds before a crash last month in Dallas, according to his arrest affidavit.

For what it's worth, the NFL's handling of previous incidents of a similar nature suggests Rice will miss no more than four games.

In 2023, New York Jets cornerback Brandin Echols was suspended just one game after charges of fourth-degree assault by auto in a crash that left a man partially paralyzed.

Last year, the league suspended Dallas Cowboys defensive end Sam Williams for three games for charges involving reckless driving. Police also found marijuana and an unlawful weapon in Williams' possession at the time of the arrest. 

Kicker Aldrick Rosas was suspended for four games in 2020 after three misdemeanors for a hit-and-run crash. Alcohol impairment was believed to be a factor in the crash.

For reference, NBC Sports reported police found 10.8 grams (less than an ounce) of marijuana in the Lamborghini that Rice was driving at the time of the crash.

Based on those three cases, Rice should only receive a one-to-three-game suspension. But again, the NFL doesn't have to follow any past standard when ruling.

For one, Rice is a bigger name than the other players mentioned. He also plays for the Kansas City Chiefs. Could the NFL take into consideration the narrative that the league favors the Chiefs and try to prove otherwise by imposing a harsher-than-warranted suspension on Rice? 

Of course, it could.

The NFL could also factor in other circumstances. Last year, less than a month after his arrest, a separate police report alleged that Rice punched a photographer in the face. The photographer ultimately decided not to press charges, but that doesn't prohibit the NFL from holding it against Rice or conducting its own investigation into the matter.

Then there was an alleged incident while in college at SMU. According to Mike Florio, multiple NFL teams learned during the 2023 pre-draft process that Rice allegedly fired multiple bullets into the empty car belonging to SMU basketball player Kendric Davis, who Rice believed was seeing his girlfriend.

The incident was never reported to authorities by SMU, Florio added.

While the incident happened in college, the Personal Conduct Policy states that "[p]layers with a prior history of misconduct, including misconduct occurring prior to their association with the NFL, will be subject to enhanced and/or expedited discipline."

In other words, we are back to square one, with suspensions ranging from two games to half the season. Based on the crime, Rice should face a maximum of four games. But that doesn't mean the league won't opt to make an example out of him and hold previous allegations against him.

For fantasy purposes, Rice is obviously a risk to draft. The advice here is to brace for at least a six-game suspension. That said, if he's available in the later rounds, draft him. When healthy and not drag racing, Rice is a fantasy WR1.