The Chiefs still haven’t had much to say about receiver Rashee Rice, after last month’s street racing incident that led to a six-car crash. However, it’s becoming more clear that the Chiefs won’t be ending their relationship with him — even though some have called for that outcome.
For now, he’s participating in the offseason program virtually. Everyone is. Will Rice be in the building when the players show up?
“We’re just gonna take it day by day here as we go,” coach Andy Reid told reporters on Monday.
On any of those days, the NFL could make a decision that forces the team’s hand. For now, however, the league has said or done nothing beyond confirming that it is monitoring the developments.
Reid repeatedly said on Monday the Chiefs plan to let the legal process unfold. Currently, Rice faces eight felony charges arising from the incident.
Asked whether the Chiefs still trust Rice, Reid said this: “As long as he’s learned from it . . . that’s the important part of it.”
Yes, that sounds like a team that sees Rice on the right side of the dividing line between star and scrub that buys him the benefit of the doubt.
The lesson doesn’t come from experiencing the consequences of reckless behavior. It comes from the consequences. And even though a good scare will get a guy to not do it again, a good scare often isn’t good enough.
Sometimes, more than a good scare for someone like Rice is needed in order to give others who have yet to engage in similar behavior a good scare.
For the Chiefs, the reality is that they don’t seem to be inclined to sever ties with a good player. Even if they’ll likely be without him for all or part of 2024.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes grew up around baseball while his dad was in the majors, and he played baseball at Texas Tech well enough that the Detroit Tigers drafted him. But while football is clearly Mahomes’ sport now, he hasn’t completely given up on the idea of spending some time playing baseball again.
Mahomes said in an interview with Time that he’s interested in participating in spring training with the Kansas City Royals and thinks it could work out, with a special emphasis on avoiding any injuries.
“I’ve talked to the Royals,” Mahomes said. “And if I can maybe go out to a spring training, I’m not opposed to that. I’ll get it approved by the Chiefs and everything like that. But maybe one of these years I go out there and see what I got. See if I can still hit the ball or pitch or whatever that is. Maybe not in the games but I can at least practice with them.”
Chiefs coach Andy Reid said he hasn’t thought about whether the team would give Mahomes its blessing to partake in spring training, but Reid knows Mahomes is capable of playing with high-level baseball players and not looking out of place.
“He was a heck of a baseball player,” Reid said. “He grew up around it. I’m sure he can play in the major leagues. I mean, he’s pretty gifted.”
Mahomes isn’t the only quarterback with a love for baseball. Russell Wilson has participated in spring training during NFL offseasons, and Kyler Murray was a big-time baseball prospect who has said he’d love to get back on the baseball diamond some day. For Mahomes a trip to spring training would be more of a fun excursion than a serious attempt at playing another sport, but it sounds like something he wants to try before his playing days are done.
It will be some time before the Chiefs are able to start doing on-field work at their team facility, but quarterback Patrick Mahomes isn’t waiting for the second phase of the offseason program to start in order to work out with his receivers.
Mahomes has led workouts in Texas in recent offseasons and he’s doing so again this year. That gives him a chance to reconnect with teammates and get to know new arrivals to Kansas City.
The latter group includes wide receiver Hollywood Brown this year and Mahomes said on a video conference with reporters on Monday that the former Raven and Cardinals has shown the speed that he’s been known for since entering the league. Mahomes also said that he’s been “pleasantly surprised” by other facets of Brown’s game and that he thinks it will lead to Brown being showcased in a new way.
“Hollywood, I think you obviously see the speed,” Mahomes said. “You see the speed instantly. But I think what I like so far is how hard he works. He’s been at all the workouts and the route running, and he wants more, he wants to continue to push himself more and more. I think he’ll have a great role in this offense, the way he’s able to run routes, the way he’s able to stretch the field, I think it’ll be even different than you’ve seen him before because I think we could utilize them in different ways that I think he has been utilized in yet.”
The Chiefs wideouts struggled with consistency last season, but the team overcame it for their third Super Bowl win in five seasons. If Brown proves to be a good fit, their bid for a third straight title will look even better.
Conflicting reports have emerged today as to the amount being sought in the lawsuit against Chiefs receiver Rashee Rice arising from last month’s street-racing crash.
At least two reports say it’s $1 million. At least one report says it’s $10 million. Here’s what I’ll say: It doesn’t matter.
For jurisdictional purposes, the amount being sought is relevant. For the final verdict, it’s not.
A jury will give whatever the jury gives. Key aspects include medical expenses, which have a specific number, and compensation for pain and suffering, which is up to whatever the jury chooses to give.
There’s no magic number when the case starts. All that matters is the number when the case ends. Barring a settlement, that’s the number that eventually will be determined — especially since there’s little question that Rice, who was racing at a high rate of speed, bears responsibility for the crash and the harm it caused.
Chiefs receiver Rashee Rice faces various issues arising from last month’s street-racing incident in Dallas. One of them became tangible on Monday.
Via Fox 4 in Kansas City, Rice and SMU cornerback Teddy Knox face a $1 million lawsuit for injuries occurring during the six-car crash.
The plaintiffs are Irina Gromova and Edvard Petrovskiy. They allegedly suffered “trauma to the brain, lacerations to the face requiring stitches, multiple contusions about the body, disfigurement, internal bleeding, and other internal and external injuries that may only be fully revealed over the course of medical treatment.”
There’s nothing magical about the $1 million. The plaintiffs will receive whatever the jury decides to give them, based on the evidence introduced at trial. It could be less than $1 million; it could be more than $1 million — especially if the jury decides that punitive damages are appropriate given the willful nature of the behavior.
Rice presumably has insurance that will cover the two cars in the crash, both of which were registered to him. It’s possibly, however, that they forfeited coverage by racing the vehicles.
Rice also faces eight felony charges and potential team and league discipline.