The hit-and-run case involving Rashee Rice has been resolved more than a year later, and the Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver is now likely to face disciplinary action from the NFL.
A judge in Dallas sentenced Rice on Thursday to five years of probation and 30 days of jail time. The jail time can reportedly be served at any point during the probationary period. Once the probation is completed, Rice will be eligible to have the case dismissed.
Now that there has been a resolution in the case, the NFL can move forward with its own investigation. ESPN’s Adam Schefter says the expectation is that Rice will serve a multi-game suspension during the upcoming season.
The NFL has a habit of delaying disciplinary action until the legal process is finished. Rice was able to play for the Chiefs the previous season because of this. Due to an ACL tear, he missed the most of the season.
Due to his suspected involvement in a multi-car accident that occurred in March 2024, Rice was facing eight felony counts. As part of a deal, he entered a guilty plea to two third-degree felony offenses.
Rice was charged with racing another automobile down the interstate at 119 mph in his Lamborghini when he lost control of his car and caused a collision that injured several others. Rice ran away from the scene along with a few others.
Aside from the collision, Rice was charged in May of striking a photographer outside a Dallas nightclub. When Rice sent the alleged victim a message stating that Rice intended to hire the man, the photographer told police that he had already left the club. According to the photographer, Rice punched the man in the left side of the face after giving him a phone so he could look at anything when he returned to the club.
With 79 receptions for 938 yards and seven scores in his first season two years ago, the 25-year-old Rice instantly made a name for himself as Kansas City’s top wide receiver. In four games last season, he caught 24 passes for 288 yards and two scores.