On Monday, the Kansas City Chiefs began a new round of OTA workouts for the upcoming season. Wide Receiver Rashee Rice is practicing, and that’s precisely where he needs to be now.
It’s been an interesting offseason for the Kansas City Chiefs. After winning Super Bowl LVIII, one would hope things would settle down. Instead, from the shooting at the parade to off-the-field incidents, the most famous team in football has been in the spotlight or under a microscope.
Amidst all this, Receiver Rashee Rice’s return to the practice field on Monday with his teammates is a beacon of hope. His car accident may have made headlines, but now, the best thing he can do is catch passes from Patrick Mahomes, bringing a renewed sense of optimism to the team.
Rice is a valuable cog within the Chiefs’ offense, and barring a lengthy suspension—if that even happens this year—Head Coach Andy Reid will prepare as if Rice will be available on opening day. It’s clear an NFL suspension is coming, but Rice’s cases have yet to be on court dockets and completed. One must suspect that, until that happens, he’ll be on the field against the Baltimore Ravens to open the 2024 season.
In the last week, he’s been spotted working out with Hollywood Brown, the new Chiefs Wide Receiver. Brown taking Rice under his wing as a newcomer to the team tells me he’s already adopted the Chiefs culture as his own.
With OTA’s entering the next phase, Rice can make amends with his teammates and attempt to put this wrong chapter behind him, at least when practicing and working out.
Again, I’ve stated this before, Rice is a good person. He’s already had Super Bowl success as a rookie, and perhaps the off-the-field stuff is a microcosm of too much too soon. Rice will get a chance to reshape his image, which will take time, but the Chiefs are filled with veterans who can help him turn the page.
What happens next for Rice is a best guess at this point. Reality suggests he’ll get a plea deal for the car accident, and second, it’s likely that the civil suits will settle as well at some point.
Until then, it’s go time for Rice, and given a second chance, he needs to make the most of it.
Other Chiefs News: The team re-signed Defensive Tackle Matt Dickerson was re-signed. To make room for him, the Chiefs cut Running Back La’Michael Perine.
