Sports
Rashee Rice is facing the next few weeks away from football, following the NFL’s decision to suspend him for six games due to a high-speed crash that took place in March 2024.
The Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver won’t be allowed inside team facilities until mid-September. In the meantime, he’ll begin his return to the field alone – sticking to personalized training and nutrition routines provided by the team’s performance staff.
Rashee Rice shakes off Nazeeh Johnson with slick move and easy catch at Chiefs camp
Although Rice will be physically apart from his teammates, they’re making it clear he’s not going through it alone.
Ahead of the Chiefs‘ season opener in Brazil against the Los Angeles Chargers, veteran wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster shared that he reached out to Rice with some words of encouragement.
“I was like, ‘Hey man, we’re gonna hold it down until you get back,'” Smith-Schuster said. “(Rice) sent me two 100 emojis – like, ‘Yeah, no doubt, brother. I appreciate you. keep doing it.'”
According to Smith-Schuster, Rice is keeping his focus on what lies ahead. And despite the setback, the locker room remains unified.
“He knows,” Smith-Schuster added. “He sees the bigger picture. At the end of the day, our group is very close, and whether it’s Rashee, whether it’s (Xavier Worthy), whether it’s Hollywood (Brown), we know that we’re gonna be a tight group when it comes down to it.”
Chiefs aim to stay sharp without Rice
With Rice sidelined and rookie Jalen Royals also out, Smith-Schuster is expected to take on more responsibility early in the season. But the Chiefs aren’t relying on one player to carry the offense.
Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, who missed the preseason due to injury, is set to make his first appearance in a Chiefs uniform. Xavier Worthy, meanwhile, looks to build on his breakout performance in Super Bowl LIX.
Worthy said the receiver group has made it a priority to check in with Rice regularly and keep his spirits up while he’s away.
“This room, it’s a really tight room; we’re bonded,” said Worthy. “Just (Rice) being out, we just want to be there to have his back, hit him up here and there just to check on him, make sure you’re good. Obviously, he’s going through a lot, but (we’re) just holding it down for him. We’ve got a lot of guys that can make plays, guys go out there and just replicate.”
Head coach Andy Reid is also staying focused on the season ahead. Known for not dwelling on player absences – whether from injuries or suspensions – Reid made it clear the team has already adjusted.
“I think we were OK with it because of the rotation that we had going; we were prepared for it,” Reid said. “We don’t have to change a lot of things moving forward, and what we put in the game plan.”
Reid compared the situation to the challenges other teams face throughout the year, such as missing key players unexpectedly. His approach: keep moving forward.
“In the NFL, you got to be ready for change. Changes happen rapidly, and whether it’s an injury or a suspension or some of that, you’ve gotta be ready to go and still play at a high level. So our guys are excited to play and keep going on this thing.”
Reid also noted that Rice had handled the situation well during training camp, staying engaged and showing no signs of letting the issue affect his attitude or performance.
“Rashee‘s got a real good heart,” said Reid. “You know, it’s unfortunate that it happened. Thank goodness people weren’t hurt, obviously, but lesson learned. And you move on and try to, try to move ahead. You know, in a positive manner. And so far, he’s done a nice job with that.”
As the regular season kicks off, Rice‘s presence will be missed, but he remains connected to his teammates, even from a distance.
And with just two emoji-filled texts, Rice and Smith-Schuster made it clear: the team is united, and they’re ready to hold things down until he returns.
This news was originally published on this post .
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