KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Rashee Rice, the Kansas City Chiefs' No. 1 receiver, participated in his first practice on Wednesday since finishing his six-game suspension for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy.
Before the practice, coach Andy Reid said Rice will make his season debut Sunday when the Chiefs host the Las Vegas Raiders (1 p.m. ET, CBS).
"How many snaps he gets, [I don't know]," Reid said of Rice. "He's excited to be back in and going. I think getting through practices [this week] will be good for him to get into the swing of things. He's been working hard. He's in good shape."
The Chiefs expect Sunday's game to be the first time that Rice, Xavier Worthy and Hollywood Brown -- the team's top trio of receivers -- will play snaps together. Even without Worthy, the Chiefs have averaged 31.6 points in the past three games, a stretch since Worthy returned to the lineup after he recovered from a dislocated right shoulder injury.
"There's one ball and somebody isn't going to get every snap," Reid said of incorporating Rice with the rest of the receivers. "They got to check that ego and I appreciate that. When they do get opportunities, I appreciate the way they've handled that, too. They're all good players. Hollywood did have a really good game [in the win over the Detroit Lions]. The last two weeks, he's made some catches that are really incredible."
In July, Rice was sentenced to 30 days in jail and five years' probation for his role in a multicar crash in Dallas that left multiple people injured during the 2024 offseason.
When the NFL handed down its suspension, which Rice didn't appeal after its own internal investigation, it voided a Sept. 30 hearing before former federal Judge Sue L. Robinson that was scheduled to be held at the league's headquarters in New York. Rice, 25, pleaded guilty in district court to two third-degree felony charges -- collision involving serious bodily injury and racing on a highway causing bodily injury. He received deferred adjudication, and the case will be dismissed if he completes the probation.
The Chiefs are optimistic that Rice can regain his form sooner rather than later. During his suspension, Rice did his own individual workouts, sessions that included work on his route running, his strength and condition and his quickness.
As a rookie in 2023, Rice led the Chiefs' receivers with 79 receptions for 938 yards and seven touchdown catches. Last year, he suffered a season-ending injury in Week 4 after he tore the lateral collateral ligament in his right knee. He had 24 catches for 288 yards and two touchdowns in those four games.
"He's going to want to be out there every single play," quarterback Patrick Mahomes said of Rice's excitement for Sunday's game. "That's the mentality that he has. It's going to be our job, as teammates and coaches, to build him back the right way. But it's going to be hard to keep him off the field, for sure."
The one major player who didn't participate in Wednesday's practice was rookie left tackle Josh Simmons, the Chiefs' 2025 first-round pick. Hours before Sunday's game against the Lions, Simmons flew back to his hometown of San Diego for what the team called a personal reason.
"I'm not going to comment on it," Reid said. "[General manager Brett] Veach is handling everything there, and we'll leave it at that."
For the third consecutive day since Sunday, Reid didn't give a timeline for when Simmons would be back with the team.
"I'll keep conversations kind of between us," Mahomes said of Simmons. "I'm praying for him."
