When the Chiefs opened their home slate of 2025 games, they didn’t have receiver Rashee Rice, who was entering the second of a six-game suspension.
Two of Rice’s teammates showed support for Rice during pregame warmups in advance of an eventual loss to the Eagles.
Via Marleah Campbell of KCTV5.com, tight end Travis Kelce and receiver Tyquan Thornton [wore T-shirts with images of Rice](https://www.kctv5.com/2025/09/14/kelce-thornton-support-suspended-rice-with-pregame-shirts/) and the message “Free 4.”
Rice’s suspensions resulted from two felony guilty pleas following a March 2024 street-racing incident in Dallas, which injured multiple individuals in other vehicles. Rice agreed to a six-game suspension before Week 1, in lieu of allowing the full disciplinary process to play out — and possibly resulting in a longer suspension.
When news broke in August that Rice would be able to play until a September 30 hearing and eventual resolution of his appeals rights, multiple league sources questioned the NFL’s failure to get things wrapped up before the season started. At least one source suspected that the Chiefs preferred to have Rice for at least four games (and possibly six), before his suspension officially commenced.
Given the general lack of oomph to the offense, it now makes sense. They could have gotten off to a better start with Rice, before weathering however many games he would have missed.
Without Rice, the Chiefs are 0-2 for the first time since 2014. He’ll miss upcoming games against the Giants, Ravens, Jaguars, and Lions before returning for Week 7, against the Raiders.
By then, who knows where the Chiefs will be? For now, they’ll be two games behind the winner of Monday night’s Chargers-Raiders game. And the margin for error is already beginning to shrink.
So, yes, they need Rice. And even though they have yet to call the Dolphins about a potential trade that would bring receiver Tyreek Hill back to Kansas City, they have to be thinking about making a play for Hill, at the right time. Beyond quarterback Patrick Mahomes, the Kansas City offense currently doesn’t have the kind of difference-makers to help get the Chiefs to where they’re accustomed to being.
Since Mahomes became the starter in 2018, the worst the Chiefs have finished is to lose in overtime of the AFC Championship. They’ve made it to five Super Bowls, including the last three in a row.