NFL star Rashee Rice is facing eight felony charges, putting his future in the league in jeopardy. The charges include six counts of collision involving bodily injury, one count of collision involving serious bodily injury, and one count of aggravated assault. There is also a possibility that charges for leaving the scene of an accident involving injury could still be pending.
NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy stated that the league is closely monitoring the situation. Typically, the league waits for the criminal case to conclude before imposing any discipline. However, due to the severity of the charges, Rice may face disciplinary action under the NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy.
If convicted, Rice could potentially be placed on paid leave, but this is unlikely during the offseason when there are no activities to be on leave from. The Chiefs may decide to ask Rice to skip the offseason program, similar to how they handled a situation with Tyreek Hill in 2019. Alternatively, the Chiefs have the option to release Rice to avoid potential payment while he is unable to play.
Rice has a fully-guaranteed salary of $1.045 million for 2024, but contract language could potentially void these guarantees if he is found guilty or suspended by the league. As of Wednesday night, the Chiefs have not made any comments regarding their plans for Rice’s future in the league.
