Throughout his assembly with police concerning the hit-and-run matter, Rice reportedly accepted “full accountability” for his position, and his legal professional later indicated that his consumer intends to cowl the bills of the victims, although Rice is being sued for over $1M in precise damages and $10M in punitive damages by two of these victims.
The photographer that Rice allegedly struck subsequently requested police to not file expenses towards the second-year wideout, and the investigation was reportedly closed shortly thereafter.
Whereas it appears as if Rice won’t face expenses for his encounter with the photographer, that incident might nonetheless affect the suspension that the Chiefs count on the NFL at hand down in some unspecified time in the future.
The league could wait till the hit-and-run authorized course of performs out earlier than issuing sanctions, however as soon as that occurs, the alleged assault — in addition to an incident that passed off whereas Rice was nonetheless in faculty through which the then-SMU participant or a member of his occasion fired pictures into an empty automobile belonging to a member of the varsity’s basketball staff — could nicely issue into the punishment.
Within the meantime, Rice is free to participate in all staff actions, and he was a full participant within the Chiefs’ OTAs. On Saturday, he participated in a youth soccer camp in Kansas Metropolis alongside quite a lot of the staff’s different high receivers, and he provided his first public feedback on his scenario (by way of ESPN).
“I’ve discovered a lot from [the hit-and-run],” Rice stated. “All I can do is mature and proceed to develop from that. This (the youth soccer camp) is a step in a greater route for me.”
Whereas vowing to enhance as an individual, Rice added, “[a]ccidents and stuff like that occur, however all you are able to do is transfer ahead and stroll round being the identical individual, attempt to be constructive so that everyone can really feel your love and your nice power.”
As a rookie in 2023, Rice was the Chiefs’ simplest vast receiver, and every time his seemingly inevitable suspension is levied, KC will really feel his absence.
The staff did deal with its WR corps in a significant method this offseason, including Marquise Brown in free company and one other velocity service provider, Xavier Worthy, within the first spherical of the 2024 draft. The membership lately agreed to a re-up with Mecole Hardman and remains to be rostering Justin Watson, Skyy Moore and Kadarius Toney.
