THE Kansas City Chiefs have NFL fans up in arms after a recent ruling went in their favor.
The NFL has shockingly decided that wide receiver Rashee Rice will be allowed to play the start of the 2025 season.
Rashee Rice is being allowed to play the start of the NFL season[/caption]
Rice’s disciplinary hearing isn’t until after Week 4[/caption]
The Chiefs are getting a huge break by having Rice available to start the season.
After a 2024 hit and run, he faced no punishment in last year’s campaign.
However, now that his legal proceedings are over, the NFL can take disciplinary action in his case.
The league is going about it in an unorthodox way though.
Instead of hearing Rice’s case immediately and starting his inevitable suspension at the start of the season, his hearing will be midseason.
Rice’s disciplinary hearing in New York is scheduled for Thursday, September 30th.
That means the Chiefs will have Rice playing games for the first four games of the season.
This decision immediately raised red flags for fans across the league.
The Chiefs conveniently are going to have Rice for their toughest four game stretch of the season.
In the first four weeks of the year, the Chiefs face the Los Angeles Chargers in Brazil, have a Super Bowl rematch against the Philadelphia Eagles, travel to New York to face the Giants, and then host the Baltimore Ravens.
Then, after when Rice’s suspension will likely start, the Chiefs go on a much easier stretch of four games.
From Week 5 to Week 8, the Chiefs play the Jacksonville Jaguars, Detroit Lions, Las Vegas Raiders, and Washington Commanders.
The first four weeks of the season, the Chiefs’ opposing teams’ combined 2024 records is 40-28.
In the second four weeks their opponents’ combined 2024 records is 35-34.
On top of this, there is a direct example of how Rice’s suspension should work taking place this season.
Jordan Addison pleaded guilty at the same time as Rice but his suspension starts Week 1[/caption]
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison pleaded guilty to a DUI on the same day that Rice pleaded guilty to his hit and run felonies, July 17.
Addison will miss the first three games of the NFL season while Rice is allowed to play.
One source told Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio that something isn’t adding up.
“Maybe I’m a conspiracy theorist, but this is odd,” the source said.
“You hardly ever see players get suspended in season unless they did something in season like a drug test or something.”
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NFL fans are furious with the discrepancy between Addison and Rice’s cases, and took to social media to share their theories.
“No reason to even pretend to be surprised that the chiefs get preferential treatment,” one fan said.
“Anything to help Mahomes,” another fan said.
“Chiefs are never beating the allegations #rigged,” a third fan said.
“They don’t even hide it at this point,” a fourth fan said.
“Chiefs privilege,” a fifth fan said.
