Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice was suspended for the first six games of the 2025 NFL season for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.
On Sunday, the 0-2 Chiefs will take the field for a third straight week without their top WR weapon following losses to the Los Angeles Chargers and Philadelphia Eagles to open up the season.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his team will look to bounce back in a primetime matchup against the New York Giants in Week 3, and at the conclusion of that game, Rice will be allowed to rejoin the team at Kansas City’s practice facilities, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Per the terms of his NFL suspension, the 25-year-old pass-catcher is not allowed to return to practice, but he is permitted to attend team meetings and ramp up for his eventual return in Week 7.
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Rice entered the league as a second-round draft pick of the Chiefs in 2023. During his rookie season, he showed strong promise, reeling in 79 catches for 938 yards and seven touchdowns.
He appeared in just four games for Kansas City in 2024, notching 24 catches for 288 yards and two scores before missing the rest of the year after suffering a right knee injury after a collision with Mahomes during a game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
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“Obviously, losing a receiver of that magnitude, that’s that good, it takes away from the offense,” Mahomes said of Rice’s suspension earlier this year, via Sports Illustrated. “But at the same time, we brought in depth with (Brett) Veach and them, brought in a lot of receiver depth so that guys can step up and take over that role in different spots.
“It won’t be just one guy. It’ll be multiple guys that will kind of do some of the stuff that Rashee has done, and then other guys will step up at other spots and make plays as well.”
The Chiefs have been notably thin at the wide receiver position to start their 2025 season.
Xavier Worthy was supposed to be the featured WR in Rice’s absence, but the second-year WR suffered a dislocated shoulder after a hard collision with tight end Travis Kelce in Week 1, and rookie Jalen Royals has missed the first two games of 2025 with a knee injury.
The Chiefs play the Giants in a Week 3 “Sunday Night Football” matchup at MetLife Stadium. Kickoff is set for 8:20 p.m. ET.