Sportsnaut
The Kansas City Chiefs have one of the best NFL rosters in 2025, especially with top wide receiver Rashee Rice now healthy. While Kansas City has been bracing for Rice to receive a multi-game suspension from the National Football League, that won’t come until weeks after the 2025 NFL season kicks off in September.
Dan Graziano of ESPN reports that Rice’s expected disciplinary hearing being scheduled for Sept. 30, rather than a suspension being announced before Week 1, because the parties involved “couldn’t reach agreement” on how long Rice will be suspended.
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If the parties could agree on a suspension length, as they did in the case of free agent kicker Justin Tucker, a suspension would have been announced and would have started in Week 1. Because Rice, the NFL Players Association, and the league can’t agree on a suspension length, the case will be heard by disciplinary officer Sue L. Robinson. According to Graziano, Robinson isn’t available until Sept. 30.
This is similar to what happened with Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson, whose hearing took place on June 28, 2022. Robinson then issued her ruling, a six-game suspension, on August 1. The NFL appealed it and eventually settled with Watson on Aug. 18 for an 11-game suspension.
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The Chiefs play four games before Sept. 30, meaning Rice would be eligible to play in all four matchups barring a settlement on a suspension length. However, if the scheduled hearing remains in place, there’s a strong likelihood that Rice could play in Week 5.
As noted by Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, a ruling likely wouldn’t be made ahead of Kansas City’s Monday Night Football matchup on Oct. 6 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. So, the next earliest game Rice could be suspended for would be Week 6 (Oct. 12) against the Detroit Lions on Sunday Night Football.
Rice has already pleaded guilty to two third-degree felonies—collision involving serious bodily injury and racing on a highway causing bodily injury—stemming from the multicar crash in Dallas in 2024. So, this isn’t a matter of the NFL needing time to further investigate to determine if he’s guilty.
Related: Reporter Predicts How Long Chiefs WR Rashee Rice Will be Suspended
In all likelihood, as Florio and Graziano have noted, the NFL likely pushed for a lengthier multi-game suspension that the NFLPA and Rice both opposed. Going in front of Robinson is a bit of a gamble for both sides, as she could determine Rice needs a longer suspension or a shorter multi-game ban.
Whatever Robinson rules, the NFL or NFLPA could appeal the decision in October...
