The rise and fall of Rashee Rice has shaken the Kansas City Chiefs to their foundations. Although the team has stood by their receiver at every turn since his offseason struggles began, this time head coach Andy Reid had to defend the team for its player selection decision.
Rice’s performance on the gridiron is unquestionable. In his first year as a professional, the Southern Methodist University (SMU) graduate caught 79 passes for 938 yards and seven touchdowns, becoming one of quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ most reliable targets. The receiver’s problems began shortly after the team’s victory in Super Bowl LVIII.
On March 30, Rice was involved in a traffic accident that left six people injured and multiple cars damaged in Dallas, Texas. On March 6, a photographer accused him of assault outside a nightclub, also in Dallas. Finally, three weeks ago, it was revealed that the player had participated in a shooting attack against the car of an SMU basketball player.
The barrage of accusations against Rice has forced the Chiefs to answer all kinds of questions about the player. Recently, a reporter asked Reid at a press conference if the team was aware of the shooting incident and the player’s problems off the field.
Reid defending the Chiefs
In a press conference during the Chiefs’ most recent organized team activity (OTA), Reid avoided giving a direct answer to the question. The head coach simply said, “We knew enough to draft him and then we just went with the process.”
It is well known that professional teams know everything there is to know, sportingly speaking, about the players they pick. They know their statistics backward and forward and have a complete record of their physical data.
Maybe that’s why Reid said that after going through the recruiting process “we found that it was satisfactory for us.” However, it remains unclear whether they knew about Rice’s potential behavioral problems or simply ignored them in favor of his numbers.
The future of Rashee Rice
Although his career is unlikely to be at risk, Rice’s immediate future is rocky at best. Neither the NFL nor the team have spoken about it, but analysts anticipate a suspension for the crash incident in Dallas, for which he faces eight charges.
According to insiders, the punishment could range from four to eight games of suspension. What happens after that remains to be seen, especially since the Chiefs have already prepared for the young receiver’s absence by adding Marquise “Hollywood” Brown and rookie Xavier Worthy to their roster.
If Mahomes, Reid, and the fans find that they don’t miss Rice, then it’s possible that his contract will come under harsher scrutiny, especially if his off-field issues continue.
