Kansas City Chiefs receiver Rashee Rice participated in practice on Wednesday for the first time since his six-game suspension ended.
Rice was disciplined for violating the NFL’s person conduct policy, stemming from his role in a multicar crash on a Dallas freeway in 2024 that left multiple people injured.
Kansas City coach Andy Reid said that Rice will play in Sunday’s home game against the Las Vegas Raiders. Reid wasn’t sure how many snaps Rice will receive.
“He’s excited to be back in and going,” Reid told reporters on Wednesday. “I think getting through practices (this week) will be good for him to get into the swing of things. He’s been working hard. He’s in good shape.”
Rice is Kansas City’s top receiver after being a standout rookie in 2023 with 79 receptions for 938 yards and seven touchdowns. He added 26 catches for 262 yards and one score in four playoff games while helping the Chiefs win the Super Bowl.
Rice was off to a solid start with 24 catches for 288 yards and two touchdowns last season. But he sustained a major knee injury in the fourth game and missed the rest of the season.
Off the field, Rice pleaded guilty to two third-degree felony charges for his role in the crash in Dallas. He received deferred adjudication on a 30-day jail sentence, and the case will be dismissed if he complies with the terms of his probation.
Now Rice, 25, is about to step on the field in a regular season game for the first time in 12-plus months.
“He’s going to want to be out there every single play,” quarterback Patrick Mahomes said of Rice. “That’s the mentality that he has. It’s going to be our job, as teammates and coaches, to build him back the right way. But it’s going to be hard to keep him off the field, for sure.”
Also, offensive tackle Josh Simmons (personal reasons) and running back Brashard Smith (illness) missed practice Wednesday. Simmons, the team’s first-round pick this year, left the team prior to Sunday night’s win over the Detroit Lions for his hometown of San Diego.
