“All I can do is mature and continue to grow from that. This is a step in a better direction for me.” Rashee Rice might wanna borrow his old energy, Kansas City Chiefs’ electric WR, fresh off a Super Bowl glow-up, is now stuck in legal gridlock, Just as Andy Reid drops a sunny update on Rice’s knee rehab – “He’s healing up good, which is positive for next year” – the NFL serves the Chiefs a frosty reality check: Rice’s felony charges from a 2024 Lamborghini vs. Corvette street race could bench him longer than his LCL tear did.
Cue the record scratch. Let’s rewind. March 2024: Rice and Teddy Knox of SMU allegedly turned Dallas highways into their racing track, sparking a six-car pileup. Eight felony charges later – including aggravated assault – according to Drew Davenport? “The case is sitting in a huge pile of cases ready for Grand Jury but hasn’t been presented yet.” Rice’s case is moving slower than a rookie QB’s progressions.
“It’s sitting in a huge pile of cases,” legal experts say, and Dallas courts? They’re busier than ever. Translation: Don’t hold your breath for a verdict. And it gets murkier. “There is still evidence being collected or processed,” Davenport notes, adding that the case could also be “in the process of a pre-indictment plea negotiation.”
Meanwhile, the Dallas DA’s office is quieter than ever. With no indictment filed, “there is a better than even chance that Rice once again escapes punishment this season.” That’s a plot twist not even the NFL’s discipline handbook was ready for.
There’s also speculation about Diversion programs being on the table. “There is a Judge in Dallas who happens to be actively pro-Diversion,” Davenport adds. But we don’t know if Rice’s legal team is working behind the scenes for a pre-trial deal. For now, all signs point to a logjam: “My opinion, therefore, is that this isn’t going to resolve quickly. I think it’s quite possible we see Rice for all of 2025.”
Even if the case were to get indicted tomorrow it’s a complicated case that will take time to unravel, particularly if the case proceeds to trial. Multiple high-level felonies could mean we are talking 2026 offseason before this case gets anywhere.
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— Drew Davenport (@DrewDavenportFF) April 4, 2025
But here’s the kicker: Pre-trial hearings? Delayed. Civil lawsuits? Piling up faster. Victims want $11M+ ($1 million in actual damages and $10 million in punitive damages), but Rice’s camp is betting on Texas’s love for football over fines. Meanwhile, the NFL’s discipline playbook looms: a baseline 3-game suspension for DUIs (see: Jordan Addison’s 2024 arrest). But Rice’s charges?
Felonies. ‘This ain’t a traffic ticket,’ gripes one analyst. For a Chiefs team eyeing a three-peat, losing Rice to court dates hurts worse than a holding call in the red zone.
Reid’s redemption arc: From knee scars to comeback stars
While lawyers duke it out, Reid’s scripting a masterclass in optimism. Rice’s LCL/hamstring surgery last October? “Posterior lateral corner damage,” Reid clarifies, sounding more like Grey’s Anatomy than Gridiron Glory. But true to form, Big Red’s spinning setbacks into comebacks: “The next guys step up. There’s not another Rashee, but we’ll be fine.” Translation: Rookie Xavier Worthy’s about to get baptized by Mahomes’ fastball.
Let’s not forget Rice’s rookie year heroics — 79 catches, 938 yds, 7 TDs — or his Wild Card Round coming-out party: 8 rec, 130 yds, 2 TDs vs. Miami Dolphins. Dude’s got clutch in his DNA. But with Rice’s 2025 season hanging by a legal thread, Reid’s digging into his bag of tricks. Remember the ‘Jet Chip Wasp’? This time, it’s the ‘Next Man Up’ mantra. “Life goes on,” Reid shrugs, channeling his inner Ted Lasso. ‘We’ve got guys.’
Now, swing the lens to Jordan Addison, who’s quietly creeping up the legal depth chart. “While the media hasn’t been covering it, the Jordan Addison case is progressing, and that could have implications for his 2025 season,” Davenport warns. A July 2024 incident resulted in two DUI charges against the Minnesota Vikings WR, one of which involved “a prohibited breath concentration over .08.”
NFL, American Football Herren, USA Kansas City Chiefs at Los Angeles Chargers Sep 29, 2024 Inglewood, California, USA Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice 4 pounds his fist on the ground after an injury in the first half against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Inglewood SoFi Stadium California USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xJaynexKamin-Onceax 20240929_jko_aj4_100
The case, filed in Los Angeles, has already seen three pretrial hearings, with a fourth scheduled for April 12. “Four PTs is on the high side, but again, not crazy,” Davenport explains, citing LA’s clogged courts and complicated defense strategies. “Multiple angles of defense that involve the chemical test and the body cam footage. That takes some time to litigate.”
Still, unlike Rice, Addison’s trajectory is clearer. “I do expect this case to be resolved well in advance of the season,” Davenport says, projecting a “short suspension of less than 3 games” if Addison pleads to a reduced charge. Translation: Addison may miss time, but he’s not likely to miss headlines.
Rice’s saga isn’t just about lost reps — it’s a morality play. The kid who danced in the end zone now dodges courtroom side-eyes. But in KC, hope’s thicker than BBQ sauce. Reid’s 300 career wins didn’t come from panic, and Mahomes’ magic turns water into wine (or, y’know, 4th-quarter comebacks). As for Addison? His DUI plea deal might cost him 1-2 games, but the Minnesota Vikings are betting on his 1,786 career yards to offset the drama.
EAGAN, MN – MAY 12: Minnesota Vikings Wide Receiver Jordan Addison (3) makes a catch during the first day of Minnesota Vikings Rookie Mini-camp at TCO Performance Center on May 12, 2023 in Eagan, MN.(Photo by Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire) NFL, American Football Herren, USA MAY 12 Minnesota Vikings Rookie Minicamp EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon2023051225
Davenport’s final word? “Criminal cases take time and they don’t care about injuries, contracts, or the timeline of the NFL season.” While Addison may be in line for a slap on the wrist, “for Rice, I’m guessing he plays all of this year unless we see a development on his case in the near future.”
So, will Rice suit up Week 1? ‘We’ll see,’ Reid smirks, master of the non-answer. But in a league where 15-2 seasons can end in Super Bowl heartbreak, the Chiefs know this: adversity’s just a setup for the next highlight reel. And if anyone can turn legal lemons into Lombardi lemonade? It’s the guy who made ‘Corn Dog’ a championship play.
This ain’t Dillon. This is THE Chiefs Kingdom — where every setback’s a prelude to a comeback.
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