With his criminal case resolved, Chiefs receiver Rashee Rice has one step remaining before his street-racing situation is resolved: A potential, if not likely, NFL suspension.
“Honestly, it’s still in the works,” Rice said Saturday, via Nate Taylor of ESPN.com. “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.”
As we hear it, the NFL has yet to propose an agreed suspension to the NFL Players Association. Once it happens, the NFLPA (which currently is in a state of turmoil, to say the least) would work with Rice’s representatives to formulate a plan.
If the league and the union can’t agree on a punishment, the formal process would unfold. Given that the facts regarding what transpired are not disputed (the incident is on video), it’s possible that a hearing before retired judge Sue L. Robinson will be unnecessary. If that’s the case, the matter would go straight to Commissioner Roger Goodell.
With the Chiefs’ regular-season opener only four weeks and six days away, it’s also possible that Rice would be available for Week 1 and beyond, until the case and any potential appeal have been resolved.
However it plays out, Rice insists the days of reckless driving are behind him.
“I’ve completely changed,” Rice said. “Honestly, you have to learn from things like that. I’ve taken advantage of being able to learn from something like that.”
The goal, through Rice’s punishment, will be for others to learn from Rice’s mistake. His suspension will be aimed at deterring other players from doing the same thing he did.
Rice was lucky no one got killed. The NFL’s will try to ensure that, in the future, no other player rolls the dice in the way Rice did.
