After missing much of last season with a torn ACL and serving a six-game suspension, Chiefs receiver Rashee Rice is set to make his 2025 debut on Sunday against the Raiders.
He told reporters on Friday that he’s feeling ready.
“This week was really big. It’s been a while since I got to play in a regular-season game with my guys, so I’m very excited to be out there to go out there and compete,” Rice said in his Friday press conference.
Rice agreed to a six-game suspension to begin the 2025 season, resolving the discipline he was facing instead of going in front of a disciplinary committee on Sept. 30.
“Honestly, it was a decision that was best for not only me, but for the team, so I could be here right now,” Rice said. “And that decision — all that’s over. So I’m ready.”
Rice declined to say anything further about his legal situation, saying, “All that stuff will be taken care of. I’m here to talk about football right now.”
Rice noted that before coming back to the building a couple of weeks ago, he spent time training in Florida to stay in shape in hot weather. But he noted it was beneficial to have gone through training camp before his suspension began, particularly as he’s coming off a torn ACL and hasn’t played in over a year.
“Very beneficial, just to come off my injury and get my timing back with the quarterback and be around the guys,” Rice said of his training camp experience. “Obviously, I spent some time away right now, but iI was missing for a little bit, but everything’s back in full swing.”
When Rice suffered his season-ending injury last year, Hollywood Brown was out with a shoulder injury he’d suffered during the preseason. So Sunday will represent the first time Rice, Brown, and 2024 first-round pick Xavier Worthy will get to play together.
“I’ve been looking forward to this probably for — I think it’s been like 380-something days that I haven’t played a regular-season game,” Rice said. “And despite the regular season, we still have a whole offseason before that, where we were training super hard to get ready for that prior season. So, it’s been a long time coming. And that time’s finally here.”
Having spent so much time off the field, Rice noted he’s gained a greater understanding of himself.
“I learned that I love the game of football,” Rice said. “Probably my second love right there. Not only do I love the game of football, but I was able to realize how strong I am mentally, being able to face a lot of adversity.”
Read the full article here
