The Chiefs will be without one of their best players for six games.
What the Kansas City Chiefs have done the last seven seasons is far from normal.
The Chiefs season hasn't ended before overtime of the AFC championship game since Patrick Mahomes took over as their starting quarterback. It's the NFL's new dynasty. But even the great dynasties of the NFL had somewhat down seasons. Just not the Chiefs.
The challenge of making Super Bowl after Super Bowl is immense. Plenty has to go right year after year. And losing one of your best players for more than a third of the season isn't ideal.
Rashee Rice accepted a six-game suspension to begin the season. That suspension is from a 2024 car crash that involved multiple vehicles.
The suspension could have been even worse for the Chiefs. The NFL reportedly proposed at least a 10-game suspension. Six is obviously far more palatable than missing more than half the season.
But it's also a pretty big blow and one that shouldn't be ignored, just because the suspension is less than it could have been.
Rashee Rice to miss 6 games
The Chiefs come into the season with some questions. They were 15-2 last season, but had a peculiar season with an inordinate amount of close wins. Their point differential of +59 was at the level of about a 10-win team, with normal results. The Chiefs will always win more close games than usual due to Mahomes and Andy Reid, but they were still an anomaly. There are plenty of regression factors working against them for 2025.
The argument against the Rice suspension affecting the Chiefs too much is they played almost all last season without him and won 15 regular-season games. Rice was off to a blazing hot start when he suffered a season-ending knee injury in Kansas City's fourth game. The Chiefs made a Super Bowl without him. Getting 11 games from Rice this season is better than the four he played last season.
It's also fair to note the Chiefs' offense isn't the same without Rice. And the six-game stretch without him is not easy. The Chiefs start the season with a big AFC West showdown against the Chargers, and also face the Eagles, Ravens and Lions. Even a Week 5 game at the Jaguars could be tricky. If the Chiefs get through that stretch undefeated or with just one loss, it will be very impressive.
With that schedule and without Rice, perhaps the Chiefs get off to a slow start. And this season they'll have competition atop the AFC West.
Could Chiefs start slow?
The Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers made the playoffs last season and have realistic hopes of taking the AFC West title this season. Even the Las Vegas Raiders should be much improved.
The Chiefs have won nine straight division titles and should be favored to win another, but it doesn't feel like a given. Rice being out six games, due to his actions in driving at high speeds, causing an accident and leaving the scene, could tighten the race a bit.
Even if Xavier Worthy improves in his second season, Hollywood Brown is often hurt, Travis Kelce showed major signs of hitting the age cliff last season and Kansas City could be thin again in the passing game until Rice returns. And it will take Rice at least a little bit of time to get acclimated after not playing in an NFL game for almost 13 months by the time he returns.
Rice is a major talent, and the Chiefs having him for a potential 11 games this season is still a good thing. But don't underestimate the loss of a dynamic player for six games. Accomplishing what the Chiefs have through the Mahomes era is very tough, and missing Rice adds another challenge.
Category: General Sports
