Kansas City Chiefs receiver Rashee Rice completed a solid week of practice Friday and is expected to play a significant role when he makes his season debut against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.
Rice ended a six-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy last week. He returned to the team in good form and coach Andy Reid was pleased with what he saw from the team’s top wideout.
“He looked sharp,” Reid said of Rice. “It’s not a game, but what we asked him to do, he did well. You can tell he’s in good shape. That’s always your worry when someone misses a few weeks, because it’s different when you’re playing. But he busted his tail, so now it’s just a matter of getting in a game and getting reps. We’ll see how all that goes.”
Rice said he was training in Florida and Texas during his suspension. He said his workouts focused on route running, strength and conditioning and quickness.
“I trained Monday through Friday and did some type of workout on Sunday to have my mind get ready to get active on a game day,” Rice said in his first public comments since rejoining the team.
Rice, 25, was disciplined by the NFL for his role in a multicar crash on a Dallas freeway in 2024 that left multiple people injured.
Rice pleaded guilty to two third-degree felony charges: collision involving serious bodily injury and racing on a highway causing bodily injury. He received deferred adjudication on a 30-day jail sentence, and the case will be dismissed if he complies with the terms of his probation.
When the NFL suspended Rice, he decided not to appeal.
“Honestly, it was a decision that was best for not only me but for the team so I could be here right now,” Rice said of his decision. “All of that is over, so I’m ready (to play). I learned that I love the game of football. It’s probably my second love (behind my family), but I was able to realize how strong I am mentally in being able to face a lot of adversity, at the time.”
The contest against the Raiders will be Rice’s first in 12-plus months. In Week 4 of last season, he badly injured his right knee and missed the rest of the season. He had 24 catches for 288 yards and two scores before the injury.
“This week is really big,” Rice said. “I’m very excited to be out there to compete.”
Rice was a standout rookie in 2023 with 79 receptions for 938 yards and seven touchdowns. He added 26 catches for 262 yards and one score in four playoff games while helping the Chiefs win the Super Bowl.
Kansas City will be without rookie left tackle Josh Simmons (personal reasons) for the second straight week.
Simmons left the team prior to last Sunday night’s win over the Detroit Lions for his hometown of San Diego. Reid described Simmons’ absence as a “family situation.”
