The Rashee Rice situation is still developing with the Kansas City Chiefs after the wide receiver and 2023 second-round pick was involved in a high-speed car accident in Dallas that involved six cars. Rice was behind the wheel of a leased Lamborghini SUV and allegedly racing at speeds near 120 mph with a Corvette owned by Rice but driven by someone else.
Rice is already facing multiple charges as a result of the incident, which the NFL is now investigating but has yet to pass down any punishment regarding.
Now that Chiefs offseason workouts are getting underway, though, head coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes were in front of the media and were asked about the Rice situation and any potential effects on the organization that they’ve seen to this point.
Chiefs HC Andy Reid, QB Patrick Mahomes speak for first time on Rashee Rice
Reid offered the most on the situation, very much falling back on allowing the legal process and the NFL’s investigation to take place before offering too many details.
“As far as Rashee Rice goes, his situation, I’m leaving that like we’ve done most of these, just for the law enforcement part of it to take place and then we’ll go from there with that,” Reid said (h/t Arrowhead Report). “I have had an opportunity to talk to Rashee, and I’m not going to obviously get into that, but that part, that part has been gone through.”
The Chiefs head coach also noted that Rice will not be participating in any of the workouts in Kansas City, but has been part of the team’s sessions on Zoom as the wide receiver has joined those remotely.
Mahomes offered a bit less than that, but did note that he’s been working with Rice throughout the offseason in Texas and will keep working with the wide receiver as the legal process plays out, somewhat echoing the first sentiment from his head coach.
#Chiefs Patrick Mahomes said he's worked with Rashee Rice throughout the offseason and will continue to do so while the legal process plays out for Rice..
— PJ Green (@PJGreenTV) April 15, 2024
Rice is currently facing eight felony charges that stem from the racing-induced accident in Dallas and could face more penalties from the legal system as well, including a $1 million lawsuit that came to light on Monday. That doesn’t even begin to dissect what the punishment from the Chiefs and the league could be as some have suggested that Rice’s contract should be terminated.
The Chiefs, at least from Reid and Mahomes’ perspective, appear to be well aware of the severity of the situation and are trying to see what the ultimate consequences are before reacting. That’s probably the best course of action, but it’s hard to see how this ends favorably for Rice and the Chiefs alike.
Still, it’s good to hear the team address the situation as things have been quiet on their part to this point. And we’ll surely hear more from Reid, Mahomes and the rest of the Chiefs organization over the coming weeks and months as penalties and punishments are levied by the legal system and the NFL.