The NFL Draft is on the horizon and fast approaching, so the future of some players is naturally going to remain unclear. However, in Rashee Rice’s case, his future with the Kansas City Chiefs remains totally up in the air, and he could yet be unavailable for the new NFL campaign that begins in September of this year.
Rice, 23, is a young player establishing himself with one of the most prominent and feared teams in the whole of the NFL. The Chiefs have and do win it all, and then some, and sports betting markets online suggest this will continue to be the case in 2024 and beyond, but they may have to do it without Rice, a player who broke the record for being the rookie to take the most passes in the playoffs on the way to the Super Bowl.
The Philadelphia-born wide receiver, who wears number four for the Chiefs, has eight felony charges lodged against him following a multi-car crash in Dallas, so not only could this make him unavailable for next season, but there could also be NFL charges looming, which may have a significantly negative effect too. The potential for Rice to be unavailable in part or in full would automatically lead many to believe that the Chiefs must be on the lookout for a wide receiver in the upcoming draft, but that’s not entirely the case, according to General Manager Brett Veach.
According to Veach, the original plans the Chiefs had will be the ones they go with, so offensive line depth, safety considerations and cornerback vacancies will all be at the forefront, as they were before Rice’s situation changed. However, while he did recognise that there is a need to continue as planned, Veach also suggested the Chiefs would be aiming to address the wide receiver position, just in case Rice is unable to play a part.
You can’t downplay Rice’s importance to the Chiefs, with the 2023 draft pick being the top receiver in the team last season. But, there’s always been an approach to keep adding talent and ensuring there’s competition for places, even if it’s just to drive the regular starters on to hit high standards on the performance front consistently. Depth and real competitiveness in all departments is the philosophy, and it’s one that has been proven to work based on the success achieved by the Chiefs in recent times.
What this could also mean is that if things don’t go smoothly for Rice in the coming months, he could quite easily be replaced, or have been replaced, when he makes his return. And it will likely be players of a similar level who have stepped into the void. Rice is contracted by the Chiefs until the end of 2026, when he will become an unrestricted free agent. But between then and now, a lot could happen, and if Veach has a player who can’t contribute, a tough decision may have to be made.
