Victim of alleged assault by Rashee Rice moves to drop charges

The photographer involved in an incident with Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice at a night club in Dallas earlier this month has reportedly dropped his case against the second-year NFL star. According to NFL insider Tom Pelissero, the man who was allegedly hit by Rice signed an affidavit testifying that the incident was a misunderstanding.

“The photographer recently dropped those charges, he gave an affidavit to the Dallas Police Department, saying that it was a misunderstanding and wants the charges dropped,” Pelissero said on NFL Network on Tuesday.

The Kansas City Chiefs have Rice back in the building this week for OTAs after his trouble-filled offseason. Despite facing a potential suspension from the league following his arrest for a reckless driving incident, the former second-round pick is gearing up for his second season in the NFL as usual.

The OTAs (organized team activities), which are voluntary, last four weeks. Teams can conduct a total of 10 days of organized team activities across four weeks. Though they can’t compete in live contact situations, the Chiefs can still have 7-on-7, 9-on-7 and even full 11-on-11 drills. 

At the end of March, Rice was one of two drivers that caused a multi-car crash on a Dallas highway. The Chiefs star was traveling at 119 miles per hour before losing control and crashing. The crash resulted in injuries to several other drivers and passengers and has led to a $1 million lawsuit against him and fellow driver Theodore Knox.

Chiefs bolster WR room amid Rice’s legal trouble

The Chiefs, anticipating a suspension for Rice to start the 2024 season, drafted former Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy in the first round of the draft. According to NFL insider Adam Schefter, the former SMU standout will likely be out multiple games. Kansas City begins the season against the Baltimore Ravens, then has Cincinnati, Atlanta and Los Angeles (Chargers) on the schedule through the first four weeks.

“Let’s start with, obviously, there are major legal ramifications that he’s going to have to go through here,” Schefter said, “and we’ll see what the court system plays out [and] how the process plays itself out. But from an NFL standpoint, there’s the very real possibility that at this point in time, Rashee Rice is going to be facing discipline from the NFL, a multi-game suspension.”

Rice, in his first season in the league, accumulated 79 receptions, 938 yards and seven touchdowns in the regular season. He added another 26 catches, 262 yards and one touchdown on the way to his first Super Bowl victory.