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Kansas City Chiefs
Aug 27, 2025 7:15 PM EDT
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice has accepted a six-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy, according to ESPN.
This suspension was expected, but recent reports stated that Rice’s hearing regarding his suspension was set to take place on September 30, meaning he would play at least the first four games of the season before a decision on his suspension was made.
Now Rice will miss the first six games of the season, which is Kansas City’s toughest stretch, and return in Week 7 ahead of their matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders on October 19.
The question for Kansas City now is this: How can they keep their season alive without their best pass-catcher during the toughest part of their schedule?
Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, center, quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce — Source: © Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK
While asking if Rice missing six games could ruin Kansas City’s season might seem reactionary, it’s a valid question. Take, for example, the Cincinnati Bengals, a team notorious for starting the season slow and turning it on later in the year. Last season, they started the season 2-4, and even after a heroic five-game win streak to try to squeeze into the playoffs, they fell short because there was no room for error after such a poor start.
Kansas City is without Rashee Rice for the following games:
Home vs Chargers
Home vs Eagles
@ Giants
Home vs Ravens
@ Jaguars
Home vs Lions
To be clear: They’re facing a dangerous Chargers team with a top-notch defense in week one, the defending Super Bowl Champions in Week 2 (who beat the Chiefs in a rout in said Super Bowl), an elite pass rush in New York, a Ravens team who is solidly in the Super Bowl conversation, a Jaguars team that could be sneaky good under new head coach Liam Cohen, and a Lions team that’s gunning for the NFC Championship after injuries ruined their 2024 season.
While 0-6 through this stretch isn’t a realistic possibility, if the Chiefs’ offense is playing poorly, they could easily lose three or four of these games. Even if it’s just three losses, their chances at a postseason bye plummet, especially with the Bills and Ravens vying for that position.
How Bad Was It Without Rashee?
The Chiefs still managed to post an 11-2 record in their 13 games without Rice last season. You look at that record and assume that this beginning to their season could be the same; that even without Rice, the offense will be able to do enough to win the majority of their first six games.
What the record doesn’t tell you, however, is how they really got those wins. It felt as if each win was eeked out, that they barely survived a huge number of these games. This is evidenced by their 3.2 average margin of victory, which ranked just 11th in the NFL.
While it’s true that they did win 11 of 13 games without Rice, went on a run in the playoffs and made the Super Bowl, this first 6-game stretch is different. The only team they played last season that is on par with the Lions, Eagles, or Ravens is the Buffalo Bills — one of their two regular-season losses.
What Happens if They Start Slow?
If Kansas City does struggle its way through the start of the season, losing the three games against the Lions, Ravens, and Eagles, any room for error is gone. This is particularly bad news when looking at the rest of their schedule. They face the Commanders in Week 8, travel to Buffalo in Week 9, play the Broncos and their top-ranked defense twice, and have to face off against the Chargers again.
It’s still the Chiefs, and it’s still Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid. They’re likely the betting favorite in each of those games, other than their matchup against Buffalo. However, if they manage to drop two of their final 11, a not-unrealistic possibility, their odds at grabbing the 1 seed and a postseason bye become highly unlikely.
If they end up with the three seed as a 12-5 team, their road to the Super Bowl becomes significantly more challenging, in part due to the lack of an extra week of rest, which could lead to injuries. The other reason is that the road to the championship is wildly more challenging as the three seed than the first.
For example, let’s say they switch spots with the Ravens last season, who held the third seed and finished 12-5. Instead of facing the Texans in the Divisional round, coming off a week of rest, the Chiefs would have rolled into Buffalo after a physical matchup with the Steelers. Then, even if they made it past Buffalo, they would go on to face another nightmare matchup against the one-seed Ravens, who are well-rested after facing a much easier playoff schedule.
Again, it’s the Chiefs. They’ve faced tough situations like this in the past and brushed past them. They’re a juggernaut, a dynasty, the best team of the 2020s. They’ve proven time and time again that they aren’t the team to doubt. However, with their key offseason losses in Joe Thuney and Justin Reid to go along with Rice’s suspension raise serious concerns.
If they stumble early, the talk of a dynasty shifts from inevitable to doubt, and the path back to the Super Bowl becomes a whole lot steeper.
About the Author
Jay Canale