Wake up, NFL conspiracy theorists — the league just gave you some more fodder for the Kansas City Chiefs in how the Rashee Rice suspension has ultimately played out. Sure, having your best wide receiver miss six games because of his reckless driving in 2024 obviously isn't advantageous on the surface, but the way things have played out regarding the suspension is certainly to the benefit of the Chiefs.
There was simply no avoiding a suspension in this matter, especially after Rice pled guilty earlier in the offseason. However, the two questions that remained were how long the Chiefs receiver would be forced to sit out by the NFL and, more recently, when the suspension would take place over the course of the season. After reports of a late-September arbitration hearing, the speculation was that Rice's punishment could be handed down midseason.
Instead, the NFL pushed to hand Rice a six-game suspension for the first six games of the 2025 season. On Wednesday, the Chiefs pass-catcher agreed to that punishment and, thus, will be out until Kansas City's Oct. 19 matchup with the rival Las Vegas Raiders.
Again, not having Rice ultimately isn't going to benefit the Chiefs — it's actually going to put more pressure on the likes of Travis Kelce, Hollywood Brown, Xavier Worthy and even rookie Jalen Royals immediately out of the gates, starting with the team's Week 1 matchup on Friday, Sept. 5 in Brazil. Even with Patrick Mahomes, even with a stout defense, that's a hurdle the Chiefs will have to clear.
Yet, if you're looking for your latest edition of how the NFL is rigging the league for the Chiefs (believe whatever you want, I don't care), this actually could be a case for that.
Rashee Rice suspension timing does the Chiefs a big favor
For those who aren't dual-screening this, these are the six games on the Chiefs schedule wherein in the Kansas City offense won't have Rice on the field:
- Week 1: at Chargers (Fri. - in Brazil)
- Week 2: vs. Eagles
- Week 3: at Giants (Sunday Night Football)
- Week 4: vs. Ravens
- Week 5: at Jaguars (Monday Night Football)
- Week 6: vs. Lions (Sunday Night Football)
Make no mistake, that's not the easiest stretch of games for the Chiefs to be without their top receiver. However, it's also not unrealistic to think that Kansas City could still emerge from that at 3-3 or better. The team, and the offense specifically, are far from hopeless without Rice on the field.
What stands out more than that, though, is that the beginning-of-season timing affords the Chiefs several luxuries. First and foremost, they'll be without Rice when the rest of the roster, for the most part, is at full strength. Royals' health status is the only one in minor question for Week 1, but reports have indicated he'll still be ready to go. That means that the Chiefs will only be down Rice to start the year in terms of pass-catchers.
Had the suspension come down midseason or even later in the year, the probability of that being the case is much, much lower than it is with the punishment beginning in Week 1.
Beyond that, the Chiefs will also have Rice for the home stretch of the 2025 season, assuming he stays healthy. No matter what the first six games look like — barring an unmitigated disaster and collapse from KC, it should be said — getting the top pass-catcher back for the stretch run could be huge. It could give them a strategic advantage as well, with coaches not having film on Rice from the first six weeks and what the offense looks like with him on the field.
Let's also not discount the fact that Rice will be healthy when he returns beyond a shadow of a doubt. That was reportedly the case for Week 1 as he recovered from a season-ending knee injury suffered last year, but this will give him even more ample time to get back to 100 percent.
What it all comes down to is the NFL ultimately pushing for what is ultimately opportune timing for the Chiefs. Now, to be sure, the reason for that is likely just to avoid it becoming a strange, unsightly narrative for the league with the Rice suspension hanging around everything the Chiefs do. It's better to get it done and out of the way from a PR perspective if you're the NFL, and almost surely has nothing to do with thinking about the benefit of Kansas City.
That, however, doesn't mean that the end result still isn't in the Chiefs' favor.
Fantasy football managers are most hurt by Rashee Rice's suspension
If anyone is really paying the price for Rice's suspension, it's fantasy football managers. Not only did the news not come down until one week before the start of the regular season, but now a potential WR1 for your roster is going to be sidelined for roughly the first half of the fantasy season. That's brutal in itself, especially since many leagues have already drafted.
Beyond that, it's also a rough situation for fantasy managers because, well, there really isn't a one-for-one replacement who's ostensibly going to slot into Rice's role that could be snatched up on the waiver wire. Royals is the most likely candidate, sure. However, it's still going to likely be more of a by-committee approach with the pass-catchers in the Chiefs offense without Rice on the field.
So, while Rice will have to serve his punishment, so too will fantasy managers. The timing is as bad for them as it is ultimately good for the Chiefs.