ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – Rashee Rice swears he’s changed. He insists that he’s no longer the same person who went drag racing on a Dallas freeway in the spring of 2024 and not only risked his life and promising career for some apparent thrill-seeking moment yet also risked the lives of others. He says he’s learned a hard lesson.
And, oh yeah, Rice, 25, maintains that after rehabbing from the torn lateral collateral ligament in his right knee, he’s in better physical condition, too.
The third-year Kansas City Chiefs receiver on Saturday made his first public comments since being sentenced last month to 30 days in jail and five years probation after pleading guilty to two third-degree felony charges stemming from the high-speed racing incident that caused a multi-car collision.
Discipline from the NFL is likely looming, probably in the form of a multi-game suspension that will keep the starting wideout out of the lineup at the start of the season.
‘I’ve completely changed,’ Rice said after the morning practice at Missouri Western State University. ‘Honestly, you’ve got to learn from things like that. So, I’ve learned and I’ve taken advantage of being able to learn from something like that.’
Rice sure sounded like a man who has grown from his ordeal, as unnecessary as the freeway race was. Whether that reflects contrition, maturity, getting coached up on talking points or any combination of such represents just part of the takeaway from his media session.
Then there’s this: Thankfully, no one was killed as a result of Rice’s foolish decision.
No, it never should have happened. You’d think he would have known better than put it all on the line as he clocked 119 miles an hour in the Lamborghini that caused a six-car collision – then cowardly walked away from the scene of the wreckage.
Yet it did happen, leaving Rice – who has reportedly settled civil cases for at least $1 million – to deal with his personal wreckage.
When someone asked about the lesson he’s learned, Rice said: ‘It’s how valuable any opportunity is, any moment is.
‘This right here, us being able to be on the field coached by Coach (Andy) Reid and have such a great quarterback (Patrick Mahomes) is honestly a gift, it’s a blessing.’
Here’s to hoping that Rice, drafted in the second round from Southern Methodist in 2023, sees this way beyond football terms.
No, none of us are perfect. Yet Rice, with a second chance to build on his promising start of an NFL career – he posted the second-most receiving yards (262) by a rookie in playoff history – is now a walking example of what not to do. And part of the deal for Rice will be the challenge to repair his reputation, which will take time and action.
In the meantime, he’s the football player going through the rigors of training camp while under the cloud of uncertainty. Based on the league’s history, now that Rice’s legal case is resolved, a likely suspension would come before the Chiefs open the season with a game in Sao Paulo, Brazil on Sept. 5 against the AFC West division rival Los Angeles Chargers.
I asked Rice how he’s processing the possibility of a suspension.
‘Honestly, it’s still in the works,’ he said. ‘My legal team is handling that. All I can do is focus on what I can control right now and that’s me doing what I do best right here on the field.’
Apparently, Rice has picked up the pace from where he left off last season, when he suffered the torn LCL in Week 4. At the time of the injury, Rice was one of the NFL’s leading receivers with 24 receptions for 288 yards and 2 TDs. He declares himself 100% and physically even better than his pre-injury form.
‘I feel 100%,’ he said. ‘I’m excited to be back out here with the guys. I’m kind of, basically, back where I left off at. So, the one thing is to be able to be back on the field to continue to do what I do.’
The coach vouched for that.
‘He’s done a nice job off the field, he’s doing a nice job on the field,’ Reid said after Friday’s practice. ‘You learn from your mistakes; that’s the important part. So, all of that. On the field, he’s just been full speed ahead – no pun intended.’
No, Andy, it’s hardly a laughing matter.
Contact Jarrett Bell at jbell@usatoday.com or follow on social media: On X: @JarrettBell
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