No doubt about it, Rashee Rice put himself and the Kansas City Chiefs in a terrible position last April. He chose to race around a crowded highway at nearly 120 MPH, risking his life and the lives of countless others. Rice will now have to pay for his recklessness with five years of probation, 30 days in jail, and over a million dollars in a civil suit.

With all of that being said, it might be best for Rice to serve whatever looming suspension is coming at the start of the 2025 season.

Reports from OTAs and mandatory minicamp suggest that Rice is moving well after his major injury in 2024. However, it might not be the worst thing to slow-play his ramp-up into the season after having a full camp in St. Joseph. That way, whenever he hits the field in 2025, he can be fully healthy, a year removed from his injury. While there is no sign that he will need any time on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list, an early suspension could function like that for him.

Another benefit of the resolution of his criminal case is the fact that the Chiefs can now plan around Rice’s suspension, rather than having it dropped on them mid-season. In September 2022, the Chiefs were surprised by a four-game suspension for linebacker Willie Gay, which came just as the season was getting underway.

Now, the Chiefs will likely have months of notice regarding when Rice will be missing. This can be incorporated into game planning and training camp reps. Last year, it seemed to take the Chiefs several weeks to overcome the loss of Rice and Hollywood Brown, as they quickly needed to rely on rookie Xavier Worthy.

Another benefit of being able to plan around Rashee Rice’s suspension is the development of rookie Jalen Royals. The two drew some comparisons during the draft process, and it’s easy to see why. Their frames are very similar, with both standing at 6’0” and around 205 pounds, and their ability to create after the catch with acceleration and power is also comparable.

If Rice were to play a full season alongside Xavier Worthy, Hollywood Brown, and JuJu Smith-Schuster, there’s a good chance Royals’ development would be slow-played, limiting him mostly to a part-time role in 2025.

Now, with the suspension to Rice, the Chiefs can plan to plug Royals into Rice’s role early. JuJu Smith-Schuster has also done some similar things as a power slot receiver, but the upside is with Royals. The Chiefs might be better off down the road by fast-tracking Royals’ development, especially given the lingering injury risks for Brown and Worthy. It could also provide leverage in future contract negotiations with Rashee Rice if the Chiefs have another receiver who can do many of the same things—one who is younger and, hopefully, not in trouble.

The next year is going to tell us a lot about the Chiefs’ future at wide receiver, and Rashee Rice is a key part of that. Does he keep his nose clean and lock in to become the talent we’ve all seen flashes of? That could make him a top-10 receiver in the league. How does Worthy grow in his second season? Can he become an elite field-stretcher? And what does Royals grow into? Rice’s suspension is an unfortunate reality, but now at least the Chiefs can plan around it.