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Rice is not expected to begin the regular season on the commissioner's exempt list, and the NFL will instead make a decision on his status after his legal process has concluded, Mark Maske of The Washington Post reports.
Rice seems unlikely to entirely avoid a suspension for his off-field problems this offseason, but the league isn't expected to intervene until the legal situation pays itself out, which could occur later this year or potentially even be delayed until 2025. He faces eight felony charges in connection with a high-speed, multi-car hit-and-run accident that occurred March 30 in Dallas, including charges of aggravated assault, collision involving serious bodily injury and collision involving injury. As long as Rice is eligible to play, he'll be locked in as a top target for quarterback Patrick Mahomes and will be in prime position to build off his highly successful rookie season, but at some point, it seems all but guaranteed that he'll face a multi-game suspension. The Chiefs brought in wideouts Marquise Brown (shoulder) and Xavier Worthy to join Rice and tight end Travis Kelce atop the receiving corps, but neither seem especially likely to intrude on Rice's workload, as he primarily operates from the slot and on short routes.
