A key detail has emerged on the timeline that ultimately led to Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice accepting a six-game suspension to start the regular season.
On Wednesday, Rice agreed to a settlement to miss the first six games of the regular season in connection with his high-speed crash that occurred in Dallas in 2024. The league initially wanted to suspend Rice for at least 10 games, and his hearing was set for Sept. 30 with Judge Sue L. Robinson.
The NFLPA had an issue with a double-digit game suspension, as there is a lack of precedent for such a strong punishment.
Per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, multiple people in the league’s power structure were unhappy with the hearing date being pushed until after Week 1.
“We’ve heard that multiple people within the NFL’s power structure were not happy with the failure of the league office to get the hearing set in time to reach a conclusion before Week 1, with more than one owner complaining and the Management Council being miffed by the botched timeline,” Florio wrote.
Rice missed an opportunity to defend himself in front of Robinson before the regular season. That’s important because Florio noted that the league gave former New York Jets Brandin Echols a one-game suspension for a similar incident.
By delaying the hearing, Rice was put in a position where cutting a deal made the most sense. Missing six games at the beginning of the regular season was optimal to a double-digit suspension that could have started on or after Week 5. If the league or Rice appealed, the suspension could have lasted into the postseason.
The league conceded at least four games from their initial punishment, but they were able to get the matter out of the way before the regular season started. In the end, the “botched timeline” hurt Rice more than it hurt the league.
