The NFL took no action against Chiefs receiver Rashee Rice despite eight felony counts arising from a street-racing incident because the league generally takes no action against a player who faces criminal charges until the case is resolved. Now that the case is resolved, the NFL will move forward with discipline under the Personal Conduct Policy.
Rice pleaded to a pair of felonies: collision involving serious bodily injury and racing on a highway causing serious bodily injury. The behavior falls squarely within the actions targeted by the Personal Conduct Policy, which encompasses "[c]onduct that poses a genuine danger to the safety and well-being of another person.”
Rice will be suspended. The challenge in figuring out the right number comes from the lack of precedent. How many games for something like this? There’s no past case guiding the outcome.
The question becomes whether the suspension happens under the Justin Tucker model or the Deshaun Watson model. Tucker struck a deal with the league, short of a full-blown hearing and decision. Watson rejected an opportunity to accept a proposed suspension and forced Judge Sue L. Robinson to hear the case and reach a decision.
Given that Rice seems to be willing (as he should be) to accept the consequences of his behavior, he should be willing to accept whatever suspension the league wants. Our guess (and it’s just a guess) is that the league will propose 10, Rice will propose six, and they’ll settle on eight.
Maybe the league will take it more seriously, given the behavior at issue. In situations like this, however, the punishment fits not the crime but the outcome of it. If someone had been killed by Rice’s street racing, he’d miss at least a season. (He’d also spend much more than 30 days in jail.) While injuries happened, no one died. And that will make it more likely that the league won’t insist on something like a full-season suspension.
Still, it easily could be argued that the league should seek a full year. The goal is to deter the behavior. In other circumstances, the same behavior could get someone killed.
There’s another important wrinkle to consider, as Rice decides whether to do a deal with the league or to take the case to a hearing. Judge Robinson’s factual findings aren’t subject to appeal, but her decision as to the punishment is. Given that there’s no factual dispute here, she could impose an eight games and the Commissioner could (in theory) decide on an appeal from the league to, for example, double it.
The best play for Rice seems to be doing a deal and serving his suspension to start the season. Eight or 10 games. Come back for the playoff run and the postseason.
And then Rice, the league, and everyone else can hope that his punishment and overall predicament will cause others to realize that the streets aren’t for racing cars. Especially when other cars are on the road.
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