What was already a troubling offseason for Rashee Rice has continued to spiral… He was on probation because of his involvement in a Dallas car crash case, but after he tested positive for marijuana, which is a violation of the terms, he was ordered to serve the previously mandated 30 days in jail. He is set to be released on June 16, but that is barely the end of his troubles.

For the Kansas City Chiefs, all of this is unfolding at an especially inconvenient moment on the calendar. The franchise is set to begin voluntary workouts next week, with mandatory minicamp scheduled to wrap up on June 11, yet Rice will not be part of any of it. His absence already posed a problem, but the situation became even murkier after reports revealed that the player underwent cleanup surgery only a week before serving his jail time. With questions now surrounding how he will continue his rehab while incarcerated, the uncertainty around his future has only deepened. Owing to all this, an extension of his contract with the Chiefs is tough. ESPN’s Adam Schefter believes this, too.

“He is going to be in a jail cell, rehabbing an injury, going into the last year of his contract without a new deal on the horizon,” Schefter said on

The Pat McAfee Show on Thursday. “And it’s really unfortunate.”

The 2026 season is the wide receiver’s final year in his four-year, $6.4 million contract with the Chiefs. Unfortunately, his troubles barely end here. 

Rice was already serving a five-year probation, per the verdict on his involvement in a six-car pile-up in Dallas in 2024. He was also sentenced to a month in prison, but the judge allowed him to serve the time whenever he was capable. But just a few days back, he tested positive for THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), i.e., cannabis, which is a probation violation. Further, the NFL Player Conduct Policy can trigger a suspension if the players paint the league in a bad light.

The league isn’t so harsh when it comes to cannabis usage, but Rice could still face suspension for violating his probation.

The NFL had already suspended Rice for six games last year in response to his conviction. He was also pulled out of the Chiefs’ practice field and suspended without pay. Before that season, the WR had also missed time in 2024 due to an injury. The attention over his off-field life has overshadowed his on-field production.

Rice was drafted in the second round with the 55th pick by the Chiefs in 2023. His rookie season remains the only year he made an impact in the Chiefs’ offense, tallying 938 yards and seven touchdowns in the regular season. 2025 might have made his case for earning an extension from the Chiefs, but that does not seem likely anymore, especially after his surgery.

NFL insider weighs in on the what-ifs concerning Rashee Rice and the Kansas City Chiefs

Rice’s numbers in 2023 proved that he has the potential to be a consistent WR1 for an elite quarterback like Patrick Mahomes. Entering the 2026 season, with Hollywood Brown now with the Philadelphia Eagles, Rice was the only dependable replacement in the WR room. Had this been his year, the wideout would have earned a whopping amount of money with a new contract, per Schefter. 

“What I think of here is the opportunity that he is squandering,” he said on The Adam Schefter Podcast last week. “If Rashee Rice were a clean player with no off-the-field issues, with no injuries, we’d be talking about a new contract this offseason in excess of $40 million a year.” 

Rice’s annual pay in his initial contract was only $1.6 million. Had he delivered this year, he would definitely have bumped that number to the 10s or 20s, if not the 40s.

Further, the Chiefs’ WR had cleared an NFL investigation into his domestic abuse allegations, which gave him one green light to return this year. But that little room that was freed up vanished when he violated his probation. This should push the Chiefs to pivot to a new, dependable name to fix the passing attack.

Pro Football Talk‘s Mike Florio claimed that Kansas City might be looking at A.J. Brown to fill in the gap after June 1. And, free agents Stefon Diggs and Tyreek Hill remain available. A veteran core in the offense will not disappoint the Chiefs this season. 

But the onus is on Rice to prove that he is worthy of an extension. Once he is out and finishes his intense knee rehab, he will return to a completely unforgiving locker room. Rice will enter the ultimate prove-it scenario this fall.