NEWS UPDATE: Following the street racing incident, Rice is charged with…

Rashee Rice, a receiver for the Kansas City Chiefs, is in significant legal jeopardy after being accused of eight felonies in connection with a street racing event that occurred in Dallas. Rice’s presence for the Chiefs’ scheduled start of their offseason program on Monday is unknown.

The NFL and the Chiefs have the final say on the matter because they can forbid Rice from playing. The league may decide to suspend him indefinitely or put him on paid leave. Alternatively, the Chiefs may just ask him to skip the game, and he might comply.

NFL urged to speak up over careless actions

Although Rice may not have acted maliciously or intentionally, the degree of carelessness with which he acted is alarming. To all players, the NFL must make it very clear that racing at high speeds in close proximity to other cars is not allowed.

To minimize more media attention, the league usually seeks to avoid placing players on paid leave. In this case, though, raising awareness of the problem might be helpful. Since the Rice case is already being covered by non-sports media, the league has a great chance to warn players about driving recklessly.

It is up to the Chiefs to step up if the NFL does not act. The squad decided not to speak after Rice was accused of the crimes. But given the circumstances, they must confront the matter and make a decision.

Chiefs president Mark Donovan said that nobody was wounded in the aftermath of the incident, but this proved out to be untrue. This false information emphasizes how the group needs to reevaluate its strategy and adopt a more proactive attitude.