Chiefs linked with $96m Patrick Mahomes weapon to replace ‘unreliable’ Rashee Rice after setback

Rashee Rice’s offseason has been derailed.

The Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver has been sentenced to serve 30 days in jail after testing positive for marijuana, which violated the terms of his probation for his role in a car crash that left multiple people injured in 2024.

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Rice will miss his team’s voluntary OTAs, which kicked off this week, and the mandatory minicamp that is set to end June 11.

But even if he had been able to attend practice, the 26-year-old probably wouldn’t have done much work anyway.

One week before being ordered to serve 30 days in jail, Rice underwent a ‘cleanup surgery’ on his right knee.

The procedure removed loose debris that was causing inflammation, and has likely sidelined the wideout for two months.

Now in a Dallas County jail, Rice will be unable to get the type of medical attention and rehab that could have hastened his return.

His latest setbacks will undoubtedly be of concern for the Chiefs — and one NFL reporter believes more bad news could be on the way.

Could Rashee Rice face further punishment for car crash?

Rice was suspended for the first six games of the 2025 season for his criminal convictions, after violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy.

Having now violated the terms of his probation, CBS Sports insider Jonathan Jones speculates he could face more punishment from the league.

“I do not know for sure whether Rice will face punishment from the NFL for this probation violation,” Jones wrote this week.

“As one well-placed source said, ‘it’s hard to tell.’

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“Obviously the league will investigate what happened here, but in some ways, punishing Rice again would seem like a form of double jeopardy.

“The league has relaxed its prohibitions on marijuana in recent years.

“But the NFL’s personal conduct policy gives it broad latitude, and any misstep by someone who served a multi-game suspension within the past year could logically make them a candidate for repeat-offender status.”

The best-case scenario would see Rice escape further punishment from the NFL. But even if he does, he’s likely burned through any remaining goodwill with Kansas City at this point, with the team facing calls to cut him back in January.

“It’s more uncertainty for the Chiefs, who at this point have to realize they cannot rely on Rice to be available,” Jones’ report continued.

“He’s in the final year of his rookie contract and has quite literally cost himself millions of dollars over the past two years.”

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With Rice’s availability unclear heading into 2026, the Chiefs have been tipped to replace him with a superstar wide receiver, and hand quarterback Patrick Mahomes a new weapon.

Could Kansas City make blockbuster trade for Super Bowl champion?

A.J. Brown appears to be done with the Philadelphia Eagles, and his future remains the biggest unresolved talking point heading into the new season, amid a breakdown in relationship with Jalen Hurts.

He wasn’t present for the start of Philly’s voluntary offseason program, and will likely be dealt early next month, as moving the Super Bowl LIX champion before June 1 would cost the Eagles $20.1 million in additional cap space.

The star wideout has long been linked to the New England Patriots, but with weeks still to run in the saga, there’s plenty of time for other teams to step forward and show interest.

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Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox believes the Chiefs could do so.

“To be clear, this is a list of teams that should be interested in trading for Brown,” Knox’s piece read.

“The Kansas City Chiefs should at least kick the tires on a trade, as the team lacks overall depth at the position and faces uncertainty surrounding top target Rashee Rice.

“(Adam) Schefter reported that Rice is expected to be sidelined for at least two months after undergoing ‘a clean-up surgery’ on his knee… he will also miss OTAs and minicamp as he serves a short jail sentence stemming from a probation violation.

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“Adding Brown would make sense for a team that is hoping to get back in the Super Bowl mix with a healthy Patrick Mahomes in 2026.”

It’s important to note that Sports Illustrated’s Senior NFL reporter Albert Breer has recently played down the idea of the Chiefs moving for Brown, who signed a three-year, $96m extension with the Eagles in 2024.

“I don’t think that happens,” he said on a recent episode of The Breer Report.

“They had that opportunity. They were on A.J. Brown’s list. They said no to the Eagles in the first place.”

While initially happy to pass on the wideout, there’s nothing stopping Andy Reid and Kansas City’s front office from circling back.

Brown was clearly interested in a move, and with Rice’s recent issues, it might make sense for the Chiefs to explore a deal after all.

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