X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

Will Rashee Rice Be Suspended? Latest Updates On The Kansas City WR's Legal Troubles

Rashee Rice - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL wr, Draft Sleepers

Frank Dyevoich, a former defense attorney, takes a closer look at the charges that Rashee Rice faces and how it will affect his availability for the 2024 Fantasy Football season.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice is in some hot water after he was caught on camera street racing a rented Lamborghini and a Corvette registered in his name, causing a multi-car collision, and leaving the scene of the accident.

Rice and several individuals that he was with can be seen exiting the vehicles and simply walking away down the Texas highway.

This is going to cause some legal issues for Rice, but to what extent? I will try to sort that out.

 

The Charges

Since the accident, Rashee Rice has come out and said that he was the driver of the Lamborghini, and after the conclusion of their investigation, the Dallas Police Department issued a warrant for Rice's arrest. The warrant stated that Rice was driving approximately 119 mph at the time of the accident, and the Dallas PD has charged Rice with eight (8) different counts:

  1. Six counts of Texas Transportation Code Sec. 550.021(c)(2) - Collision involving personal injury or death - non-serious bodily injury;
  2. one count of Texas Transportation Code Sec. 550.021(c)(1) - Collision involving personal injury or death - serious bodily injury; and
  3. one count of Texas Penal Code Sec. 22.02(a)(2) - uses or exhibits a deadly weapon during the commission of an assault (the "weapon" is the vehicle).

It is important to note that the Texas Collision Involving Personal Injury or Death law is the equivalent of other states' Leaving the Scene of an Accident. It is also referred to as the Texas Failure to Render Aid law. Sec. 550.021(c)(2) is a class A misdemeanor but with harsher penalties. On these six counts, Rice is facing up to five years in jail with fines of up to $5,000 for each count.

Sec. 550.021(c)(1) is upgraded to a third-degree felony and carries punishments ranging from two years up to 10 years in jail and fines up to $10,000. Lastly, Sec. 22.02(a)(2) is a second-degree felony, the worst of Rice's charges, and carries penalties ranging from two years to 20 years in jail and fines up to $10,000. The driver of the Corvette, SMU cornerback Teddy Knox, faces the same charges and has already been suspended from the university's football program.

After a day or two lying dormant, Rice turned himself into the Dallas PD.

What to Expect

Despite the intimidating charges Rice is facing, I doubt that he faces any jail time. As an initial matter, I am assuming the Dallas Police Department charged Rice with aggravated assault because they know his attorney is going to agree to a plea deal and they wanted to make sure that Rice could not walk away free and clear. Aggravated assault is not a common charge in motor vehicle accidents, and the Dallas PD is clearly trying to send a message to the public that Rice is not being given leniency.

It is also probably why he was not charged with reckless driving or street racing because those charges would just be additional ammunition for his defense attorney to work with regarding a plea deal. The Dallas PD clearly does not want Rice to have much wiggle room. That being said, my experience as a defense attorney leaves me with very little concern about Rice's penalties and his availability for the 2024 NFL season.

NOTE: Before I get into how I think things will play out, it is important to understand that nothing in a court of law is guaranteed. Rice could walk away having only pled to a misdemeanor or he could be facing jail time. The plea deal is up to the discretion of the prosecutor and the approval of the Judge, and no one can say for certain how things will play out.

Right off the bat, Rice's attorney is going to ask the prosecutor to drop the aggravated assault charge, however, instead of dismissing the charge entirely, it is more likely that he offers a reduced charge of simple assault causing bodily injury, a Class B misdemeanor with a maximum sentence of 180 days in jail. In my experience, I have never seen a defendant serve jail time on a first-offense simple assault so this would likely only result in a fine. I am unaware of any criminal history regarding Rice, and that will go a long way with the prosecutor. First-time offenders are treated much more leniently than repeat offenders.

Next, I'd expect Rice's attorney to ask the prosecutor to dismiss the third-degree felony of collision causing serious bodily injury, which the prosecutor will likely agree to, on the condition that he plead guilty to at least one of the lesser charges of leaving the scene of an accident with non-serious bodily injury.

It is important to note that the entire ordeal is on camera so Rice does not have any defenses. He admitted to the operation of the vehicle and he can be seen exiting the vehicle after the crash and walking down the highway. Thus, as far as defenses go, he's cooked. This is why he will 100% make a plea deal because it would be impossible for him to win if he takes it to trial, and he certainly does not want a jury to decide how much compensation he, a professional athlete, should pay every day citizens that he injured by his entitled and reckless behavior. 

At the end of the day, I am expecting Rice to plead guilty to collision involving personal injury or death with a non-serious bodily injury and a reduced charge of misdemeanor simple assault. It is highly unlikely that he will receive any jail time, and it is all but guaranteed that whatever plea deal he accepts will include substantial compensation for the injured parties.

The prosecution could also throw in community service and probation, and his license is likely to be suspended for at least 90 days. However, Texas can only suspend his driving privileges in Texas, so it would be up to the State of Missouri if they also wanted to suspend his driving privileges.

 

Will He Be Suspended?

The looming question that everyone wants to know is "Will Rice be suspended to start the 2024 NFL season?" The public reaction has been all over the place, with some wanting to see Rice suspended for the entire 2024 season. While NFL punishments are unpredictable, I can emphatically say that will not happen. In my opinion, Rice is looking at a one to two-game game suspension, but no more than four. However, at this point, it is all but guaranteed that any suspension would not come until next year.

The NFL is known for letting the legal proceedings play out before issuing any discipline. The best example of this unofficial policy is Deshaun Watson, as the league did not suspend him until his civil lawsuits were settled, despite there being 24 people who came forward with sexual assault allegations against him, some of whom the NFL personally interviewed during their initial investigation of Watson.

In this case, Rice's trial date is scheduled for December 9, 2024, and I can all but guarantee that it gets pushed back even further because neither Rice nor his attorneys want this case to go to trial. It is an open-and-shut case that he admitted to, and the entire incident was caught on video. The first goal of Rice's attorneys was to make sure the legal proceedings did not take place this year. Cross that one of the list. Now, the goal turns to working out a plea deal in the offseason that keeps him out of jail. Assuming Rice does not have a criminal record and has a relatively clean driving history, this should be relatively easy to accomplish.

Initially, I did not think Rice would be suspended at all because, at its core, this is a traffic accident. However, the heightened charge of aggravated assault, a second-degree felony, might force the NFL to act to avoid more public outcry about the flaws in their disciplinary system, which has been a consistent talking point since Ray Rice was only suspended for two games after he assaulted his wife in a hotel elevator.

Historically, the NFL has not suspended players for traffic accidents that did not involve drugs/alcohol and/or resulted in a fatality. Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison was cited for going 140 mph in a 55 mph-zone and did not receive any discipline from his team or the league.

On the flip side, in 1998, Leonard Little of the St. Louis Rams killed a woman while driving drunk and received only an eight-game suspension, but the NFL wised up in 2009 after it suspended Donte Stallworth for the entire season after he killed a pedestrian while driving drunk. We do not even need to discuss Henry Ruggs as he is serving 10 years in prison and will never play another down in the NFL. His accident involved many aggravating factors and is not an appropriate comparison to this Rice incident.

The reason I am expecting a small suspension for Rice next season is that this was a little more than a routine traffic accident, and the league might want to send a message to new players to make smarter decisions. Essentially, he was street racing at over 115 mph on a highway, caused a high-speed accident that resulted in several injured people, and fled the scene of the accident. Rice did not kill anyone, but only because he was lucky, and it is in the NFL's best interest to try and deter the same type of reckless driving and disregard for the safety and well-being of others.

If he is suspended one to four games, I expect him to eat the suspension, however, if the NFL really tries to make an example out of him by suspending him six games or more, there is no doubt that he will appeal, and he will likely win. NFL discipline appeals are no longer presided over by Roger Goodell. Instead, the new Collective Bargaining Agreement placed that power in the hands of an independent arbitrator, and the arbitrator is bound to rule on the fairness of punishments based on the NFL's history of player disciplines.

It is why Deshaun Watson's suspension was reduced to 11 games because, despite 24 heinous allegations, the NFL has never suspended a player for the entire season based on sexual assault allegations that were not forcible r***. In this case, it bears repeating that the NFL has not suspended any player for involvement in a traffic accident that did not involve drugs/alcohol and/or result in a fatality.

Based on this, I am operating as though Rice will only be suspended for one to two games next season, and I am confidently raising him in my rankings (high-end WR2) and trying to buy him low in all of my dynasty leagues.  Regardless of how this all plays out, I am confident that if Rice receives any discipline from the NFL, it will not be until next season and fantasy managers should draft him with confidence, and currently at a tremendous value, in the weeks ahead.

More Fantasy Football Analysis

POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Jaylen Waddle

Questionable for Week 3 Against Buffalo
Joe Burrow

Bengals Not Closing the Door on Joe Burrow Returning This Year
CFB

LaNorris Sellers to Play Against Missouri?
Kyle Tucker

Progress has "Plateaued"
Isaac Paredes

has "Outside Chance" to Return This Weekend
CFB

Kaidon Salter Expected To Start for Colorado on Saturday
Willson Contreras

Goes on 10-Day Injured List, Done for Season
Justin Fields

Ruled Out for Week 3 Due to Concussion
Jayden Reed

Out Indefinitely After Foot and Shoulder Surgery
Washington Commanders

Preston Smith Signs With Commanders
Trey Jemison III

Joins Knicks on Two-Way Contract
Kevin McCullar Jr.

Signs New Two-Way Deal With Knicks
Matt Ryan

Returns to Knicks on Exhibit 10 Contract
New York Knicks

Alex Len Signs Exhibit 9 Deal With Knicks
Nickeil Alexander-Walker

Expected to Take on Larger Offensive Role With Hawks
Thomas Sorber

Undergoes Surgery
Dominic Canzone

Has Five-Hit, Three-Homer Game Tuesday
Cal Raleigh

Sets Single-Season Home Run Record for a Switch-Hitter
Jayden Reed

Undergoes Clavicle and Foot Surgeries, Out for Foreseeable Future
Bo Bichette

to Miss Rest of Regular Season
Zach Neto

Placed on 10-Day Injured List With Hand Injury
Yordan Alvarez

Out on Tuesday, Dealing With "Significant" Ankle Sprain
Aaron Jones Sr.

Vikings Place Aaron Jones Sr. on Injured Reserve With Hamstring Injury
CFB

Diego Pavia Refutes Report of Seeking Seventh Collegiate Season
Christian Kirk

Expected to Return in Week 3
CFB

Diego Pavia Seeking Another Year of Eligibility
Tarik Skubal

on Track to Start Thursday
CFB

Kevorian Barnes Questionable Against SMU
Bo Bichette

has Short-Term Knee Injury, Could Return for Postseason
Tosan Evbuomwan

Joins Knicks
NBA

Kai Jones Links Up With EuroLeague Team
Bismack Biyombo

Returns to Spurs
Bones Hyland

Rejoins Timberwolves
Kobe Bufkin

Moves to Brooklyn
Trey Yesavage

Sets Franchise Strikeout Record On Monday
Yordan Alvarez

To Receive MRI For Sprained Left Ankle On Tuesday
Willson Contreras

Exits Early Monday With Right-Biceps Tightness
Yordan Alvarez

Exits With Ankle Sprain
Brock Bowers

Officially Active on Monday Night
Jauan Jennings

Day-to-Day With Ankle Injury
Logan O'Hoppe

Activated Off Seven-Day Injured List
CBJ

Denton Mateychuk Dealing With Groin Issue
Bo Horvat

Fine for Training Camp
Kirby Dach

on Track to Be Ready for Opening Night
Jose Altuve

Returns Against Rangers
J.J. McCarthy

Expected to Miss 2-4 Weeks With High-Ankle Sprain
J.J. McCarthy

Likely Out for Week 3 With High-Ankle Sprain
Jean Silva

Gets Finished For The First Time In His Career
Aaron Jones Sr.

Unlikely to Play in Week 3 Due to Hamstring Injury
Diego Lopes

Returns To The Win Column
Jayden Daniels

' Week 3 Status in Doubt
Rob Font

Outclassed In The Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
David Martinez

Wins His Second UFC Fight
Jared Gordon

Suffers Brutal TKO Loss At Noche UFC 3
Rafa Garcia

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Brian Thomas Jr.

Dealing with Wrist Injury
Dustin Stoltzfus

Drops A Decision At Noche UFC 3
Kelvin Gastelum

Gets Back In The Win Column
Diego Ferreira

Suffers Second-Round TKO
Alexander Hernandez

Extends His Win Streak With A Brutal TKO
Quang Le

Suffers First-Round Knockout
Santiago Luna

Shines In His UFC Debut
Christopher Bell

Earns his First Bristol Cup Series Victory
Alex Bowman

Falls Short of Advancing Through Cup Series Playoffs
Chase Briscoe

Collects his Third Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Ryan Blaney

Strong Top-Five Bristol Performance Advances him to the Playoffs
Corey Heim

Earns his First Career Cup Series Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Leads Greece to Bronze Medal
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Drops 28 Points in EuroBasket Finals
CFB

Indiana's Lee Beebe Jr. Out for Season with Knee Injury
Dennis Schröder

Dennis Schroder Named EuroBasket MVP
Bryce Eldridge

Giants to Promote Bryce Eldridge
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Progressing in Recovery
Jonathan Kuminga

Receives New Offer From Warriors
Kenneth Walker III

Bounces Back with Big Week 2 Performance
Bijan Robinson

Rushes for 143 Yards in Week 2
Justin Fields

Currently in Concussion Protocol
Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals Calling Around to Available Free-Agent Quarterbacks
Joe Burrow

to Undergo Surgery, Out at Least Three Months
Emil Heineman

Aiming to Take the "Next Step" This Season
Braeden Cootes

Good to Go for Camp
Ivan Fedotov

Blue Jackets Acquire Ivan Fedotov From Flyers
Aaron Jones Sr.

Injures Hamstring During Sunday Night Football
Garrett Crochet

Punches Out 12 in Win
Cole Ragans

to Return on Wednesday
George Kirby

Strikes Out 14 in Win
Carlos Estévez

Carlos Estevez Exits with Back Tightness
Quentin Grimes

Still Not Close to a New Contract Agreement
Joel Embiid

"Looking Slender, Spry and in Positive Spirits"
Ty Gibbs

Has Arguably his Best Career Drive, but Only Finishes 10th
Chase Elliott

Despite Crashing Out at Bristol, Chase Elliott Advances to Round of 12
Austin Dillon

Misses Round of 12 After Extremely Mediocre Bristol Run
Shane Van Gisbergen

Shane van Gisbergen Fails to Advance to Round of 12
Josh Berry

Finishes Last in All Three Round of 16 Races to Fail to Advance
CFB

Ryan Williams Explodes In Return To Field
CFB

Drew Allar Plays Mediocre Game In Blowout Win
CFB

LaNorris Sellers Exits Game In Blowout Loss
CFB

DJ Lagway Tosses Five Interceptions In Loss
CFB

Garrett Nussmeier Plays Game Manager in Saturday's Win
CFB

CJ Carr Remains Poised In Narrow Loss
CFB

John Mateer Leads Oklahoma In Rout
CFB

Arch Manning Struggles Against UTEP
CFB

Jeremiah Smith Impresses In Win
CFB

Sam Leavitt Shines As Arizona State Rebounds From Week 2 Loss
Ivan Demidov

Turning Heads in Rookie Camp
NHL

Calvin de Haan Signs With Swedish Team
Samuel Girard

Skates With Non-Contact Jersey
Mackenzie Blackwood

Dealing With Injury Ahead of Training Camp
Spencer Knight

Signs Three-Year Extension With Blackhawks
Chris Buescher

May have Another Solid Run at Bristol
Corey Perry

Out 6-8 Weeks Following Surgery
Kyle Busch

Should DFS Managers Roster Kyle Busch at Bristol?
Ricky Stenhouse Jr

Is Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Too Risky to Consider Rostering at Bristol?
Michael McDowell

Could be A Solid Value Option For Bristol DFS Lineups
Chase Elliott

Probably Won't Factor in for Bristol Win
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Not as Strong at Bristol as Other Short Tracks
Alex Bowman

Needs to Win to Make Round of 12
Ross Chastain

has Never Led at Bristol but Has Been Pretty Consistent
Austin Dillon

Richmond Speed Unlikely to Carry Over to Bristol
Josh Berry

Might Run Well at Bristol, but Almost Certainly Won't Win to Advance
Justin Haley

Bristol One of Justin Haley's Few Recent Bright Spots
CFB

Austin Simmons Listed As Game-Time Decision Against Arkansas
CFB

Nico Iamaleava Struggles In Fourth Straight Loss
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Dealing With a "Tweak"
BUF

Alexandar Georgiev Joins Sabres on One-Year Deal
Corey Perry

Injured During Pre-Camp Skate
CFB

Antonio Williams Out Against Georgia Tech
CFB

CJ Bailey Flashes Again in Win Over Wake Forest
CFB

Jaxson Moi a Game-Time Decision for Tennessee on Saturday
Jean Silva

A Favorite At Noche UFC 3
Diego Lopes

Set For Noche UFC 3 Main Event
Rob Font

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
David Martinez

Set For Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
Rafa Garcia

An Underdog At Noche UFC 3
Jared Gordon

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Dustin Stoltzfus

Looks To Return To The Win Column
Kelvin Gastelum

In Dire Need Of Victory
Diego Ferreira

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Malcolm Brogdon

Heading to Knicks on One-Year Deal
Landry Shamet

Staying with the Knicks
Adam Lowry

Aims for Early-Season Return
P.J. Washington

Officially Signs Contract Extension

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP