Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice has accepted a six-game suspension for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy and will start serving the suspension at the beginning of the season.
The NFL announced Wednesday that Rice will be eligible to return to the Chiefs in Week 7 ahead of their Oct. 19 game against the Las Vegas Raiders. He had been scheduled for a disciplinary hearing on Sept. 30.
In July, Rice was sentenced to 30 days in jail and five years' probation for his role in a multicar crash in Dallas that left multiple people injured during the 2024 offseason.
The NFL handed down its suspension, which Rice will not appeal, after its own internal investigation. It voids a Sept. 30 hearing before former federal Judge Sue L. Robinson that was scheduled for the NFL's headquarters in New York.
Rice, 25, pleaded guilty in district court to two third-degree felony charges -- collision involving serious bodily injury and racing on a highway causing bodily injury. He received deferred adjudication, and the case will be dismissed if he completes the probation.
Along with missing the Chiefs season opener in Brazil against the Chargers on Sept. 5, Rice also will miss a Super Bowl rematch with the Eagles on Sept. 14 at Arrowhead Stadium; a Sunday night trip to New York to face the Giants; a high-profile matchup with Lamar Jackson and the Ravens on Sept. 28; a game against the Jaguars the following Monday night; and a Sunday night showdown with the Lions.
Rice had 79 receptions for 938 yards and seven touchdown catches in his 2023 rookie season. Last year, he suffered a season-ending injury in Week 4 after he tore the lateral collateral ligament in his right knee. He had 24 catches for 288 yards and two touchdowns in those four games.
In a rare scenario Tuesday, the Chiefs kept eight receivers -- Rice, Xavier Worthy, Hollywood Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Tyquan Thornton, Nikko Remigio, Jason Brownlee and rookie Jalen Royals -- on their initial 53-man roster. The Chiefs did this in case Rice agrees to a shortened suspension with the league, one that is different from what the NFL initially wanted, which was at least an eight-game punishment.
Rice's status has been in limbo ever since he was driving a Lamborghini Urus SUV at 119 mph on Dallas' North Central Expressway, made "multiple aggressive maneuvers around traffic" and struck other vehicles, prosecutors said. After the crash, Rice did not check on the welfare of those in the other vehicles but instead fled on foot.
Rice said last month in a statement issued by his attorney that he's had "a lot of sleepless nights thinking about the damages my actions caused, and I will continue working within my means to make sure that everyone impacted will be made whole."
The Dallas County District Attorney's Office said Rice will have some flexibility in when he must serve his jail time. He also was required to pay the victims for their out-of-pocket medical expenses, which totaled about $115,000.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.