Chiefs WR Rashee Rice could avoid September disciplinary hearing if NFL, NFLPA can agree on suspension length

Kansas City Chiefs WR Rashee Rice could still be suspended before the 2025 NFL season begins.

Charles Goldman — NFL Managing Editor
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Things surrounding the timing of a potential suspension for Kansas City Chiefs WR Rashee Rice are far from settled, despite reports indicating that he’s expected to be available to play for the first four weeks of the 2025 NFL season.

Rice has an upcoming disciplinary hearing scheduled for Sept. 30, which will be heard by Sue L. Robinson, who is a former U.S. district judge serving as the dually appointed league disciplinary officer by the NFL and NFLPA. You might recall that Robinson was the arbitrator in Deshaun Watson’s NFL personal conduct policy case back in 2022, where she issued a six-game suspension for Watson. That was appealed by the NFL, eventually leading to an 11-game suspension for Watson.

According to multiple reports, the reason for this hearing is that the NFL, the NFLPA, and player representatives for Rice have discussed a settlement involving disciplinary action, but could not agree on the length of a suspension. That’d suggest the league is pushing for a longer suspension length, while the NFLPA and Rice’s counsel believe they have a valid argument for leniency.

The NFL, NFLPA, and Rice’s legal counsel may still agree on a suspension length before the Sept. 30 hearing date, which would ultimately make the hearing unnecessary. The reason for the Sept. 30 date has to do with Robinson’s schedule, per ESPN’s Dan Graziano.

Basically, there are a few different ways this can go down for Chiefs WR Rashee Rice.

First up is probably the preferable situation for all parties. They could settle before the season begins and avoid this independent arbitration. Both sides seem to be dug in, so I’d be surprised about that happening right now, but it’s not impossible.

Secondly, Rice could wait for his case to be heard by Sue L. Robinson. If the NFL, NFLPA, and Rice agree on her decision, they’ll stick with that. If not, they will have the ability to appeal the decision, which could add a bit to the timeline for a suspension being issued and Rice heading the Reserve/Suspended list.

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