NFL player Rashee Rice from the Kansas City Chiefs receives a six-game ban due to a car accident incident
Rashee Rice, a key wide receiver for the Kansas City Chiefs, has been suspended for the first six weeks of the upcoming NFL season. The suspension stems from a violation of the NFL's personal conduct policy, in connection with a serious accident that occurred last year on Dallas' North Central Expressway.
In the incident, Rice was driving a Lamborghini Urus SUV at more than 119 mph before losing control and hitting the center median wall. This triggered a chain reaction collision involving six other vehicles, resulting in injuries. Rice pleaded guilty to third-degree felony charges - collision involving serious bodily injury and racing on a highway causing bodily injury.
Following the incident, Rice was sentenced to five years of probation and 30 days of jail time last month. He has agreed to serve at least 30 days in jail, but the exact timeline for when he will serve his sentence remains unclear.
Rice expressed remorse for the incident, stating that he took "full responsibility" and apologized for the harm caused. He also stated that he has "completely changed" since the collision and is now focusing on what he can control, which is his performance on the field.
Despite the suspension, Rice will be eligible to play again on October 13. However, he will miss the Chiefs' first six games of the season without pay. The Chiefs' first game of the season is against the Los Angeles Chargers in Brazil on September 5.
Rice had a dominant rookie season, tallying 79 catches for 938 yards and a team-high seven touchdowns as part of the Super Bowl LVIII-winning team. As he enters his third season with the Chiefs, Rice will be looking to make a strong comeback following his suspension and knee injury that sidelined him for the remainder of last season.
Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot stated that Rice paid restitution to all victims for "out-of-pocket medical expenses." The Chiefs organization has not yet commented on Rice's suspension.
