Adam Schefter dropped some very interesting news about the Rashee Rice situation this morning. In an X post this morning, he reported that Rice’s disciplinary hearing with the NFL is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, September 30th. This timing has some very interesting implications for fantasy football.
First, this means that Rice would be available for at least the first four games of the season. Presuming he is fully healthy, which all indications are that he is participating in full in training camp, this would be a nice boost to the start of the season for fantasy managers.
The hearing is scheduled for the Tuesday following the Chiefs’ week four game against the Baltimore Ravens. The two primary questions that stem from this development are: first, assuming there is a suspension, how soon following the hearing will it be served? Second, how many games will he be suspended for?
Disciplinary Hearing: What To Expect
Both questions have big implications for fantasy managers who have either already drafted Rice or are contemplating taking him in upcoming fantasy drafts. To first the question regarding how soon any potential suspension could be imposed following the hearing, there are several ways it could play out with varying processes under the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) that could impact this timeline.
Rice’s incident falls under the CBA’s Personal Conduct Policy. Under that policy, the hearing officer is required to “... as soon as practicable following the conclusion of the hearing… render a written decision which will constitute full, final and complete disposition of the dispute…”
This does not clear up how soon the decision must be rendered, since “as soon as practicable” is very open-ended. The hearing itself can take several days, depending on the nature of the testimony and arguments presented by both sides. Presuming a one to two day hearing, and one to two days for a decision, it could result in a decision being rendered as soon as the Friday of that week (October 3rd).
Of course, if the decision is not favorable to Rice, he can appeal. For suspensions issued during the season, appeals are to be scheduled “…for the second Tuesday following the receipt of the notice of appeal, with the intent that the appeal shall be heard no fewer than eight (8) days and no more than thirteen (13) days following the suspension…” So if a decision is appealed, there could be an additional week or two before a final decision is issued by Commissioner Roger Goodell.
Something else to think about regarding what might be happening internally. With a hearing date set six weeks away, it could suggest that Rice and the league are working behind the scenes to try and hash this out before a hearing is needed. Unlike the recent Jordan Addison decision, there isn’t a 1-to-1 precedent for Rice’s situation, likely giving some leeway for both sides to further negotiate their case, given the unique circumstances.
That said, I wouldn't ignore this situation between now and September 30th. If there are negotiations going on behind closed doors, regarding both the length of suspension and the timeframe for serving it, things might get expedited. This would change the timing of everything we are looking at today, though this scenario is the most speculative out of everything we are discussing, so let's get back to focusing on the crux of the known information.
Enough with the legal stuff, let’s quickly touch on the second question: the length of the suspension. We know that the Chiefs already have an idea of the suspension length, speculated at four to six weeks. This info is often “leaked” to the team in advance, and in turn gets leaked out into the media. While four weeks versus six weeks is an important element, one could argue that the more important factor for fantasy is simply when it would start.
Fantasy Implications
Let’s dive into the fantasy implications based on what we know and what we can best speculate about what might happen based on this information.
Let’s assume a decision resulting in a suspension is rendered the same week of the disciplinary hearing. Let’s also assume that suspension is scheduled to start immediately, ie, week five when the Chiefs face the Jaguars.
Given the longer range of the speculated suspension of six weeks, that would put Rice’s return at week 12 against the Indianapolis Colts, as the Chiefs have a week 10 bye. Fantasy managers would get Rice back a couple of weeks before most fantasy playoffs start, allowing him a bit of a runway to get back on track before those all-important late-season fantasy matchups.
Of course, a shorter suspension would bring him back sooner, which would be even better. But as I pointed out earlier, there is no definitive timetable on when a decision needs to be rendered. It is also unknown whether Rice is prepared to serve whatever potential suspension is handed down, or if he would appeal the decision and further delay the process.
I am sure these conversations are happening internally between Rice, his legal team, and the Chiefs to decide what is best for Rice and his long-term outlook, as well as for the team.
Based on my experience, I don’t see any reason why the league would delay implementing the suspension once a decision is final. That said, as long as things aren’t dragged out, we are looking at a mid-season suspension that likely results in Rice helping your fantasy team get off to a hot start, and a return just before the fantasy playoffs.
If you are contemplating drafting Rice, the fact that we have an actual hearing date is much better than what those who drafted him before today had. I have an upcoming article where I said Rice was my fifth-round target, and given today’s news, I am sticking firm with that.
He has league-winning upside, and even though his draft price might move up in the coming weeks, given the added clarity around his situation, I believe he still adds value at his current spot in fantasy drafts.