NFL Letting Rashee Rice Play While Victims Wait For Justice, Lawyer Says
The Chiefs wide receiver pleaded guilty to two felonies after crashing a Lamborghini and fleeing the scene — but he’s still suiting up for Week 1.
Rashee Rice is set to suit up for the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1 despite pleading guilty to two felonies in a March 2024 hit-and-run crash. And the attorney for one of the victims is ripping the NFL for dragging its feet on discipline.
"It makes no sense," said Marc Lenahan, the attorney for Kathryn Kuykendall, who was injured when Rice’s rented Lamborghini crashed into the Uber she was riding in.
"Poor Rashee says he can play, but can’t pay. He says his groin has healed up, but he still hasn’t grown up."
Rashee Rice will play at least the first four games of the season before the NFL will potentially issue a punishment.
(Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
Rice pleaded guilty last month to one count of racing on a highway causing bodily injury and one count of collision involving serious bodily injury. He was sentenced to five years of probation and 30 days in a Dallas County jail. Despite that, the NFL has scheduled his disciplinary hearing for Sept. 30 — meaning Rice will be eligible to play in at least the first four games of the season.
That includes an international opener against the Los Angeles Chargers in Brazil, a Super Bowl LIX rematch against the Philadelphia Eagles and a game against the AFC North-favorite Baltimore Ravens.
"The NFL is sending Poor Rashee to São Paulo to live it up," Lenahan told TMZ, "instead of to Wells Fargo to get a loan so he can pay up."
According to ESPN, the hearing will be presided over by Sue L. Robinson, the former U.S. District Judge who also handled Deshaun Watson’s disciplinary case in 2022.
As OutKick’s Armando Salguero previously reported, the timing of the hearing means Rice could also play Week 5 at Jacksonville if Robinson doesn’t issue a ruling immediately. One NFL general manager told OutKick, "He gets to play early in the season so they can start fast. And barring the discipline being something crazy, he’ll be back by the end of the season and the playoffs, with fresh legs, so they can finish strong."
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Lenahan also claims that Rice has not yet paid a $1 million civil settlement agreed to in April.
While NFL suspensions are typically handed down quickly once criminal cases are resolved — like in the recent DUI case of Vikings wideout Jordan Addison — the league appears to be giving Rice significantly more leeway.
Why, though?