Rashee Rice and Patrick Mahomes (Photos via Getty Images)
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes addressed the legal matters involving his teammate and star wide receiver, Rashee Rice.On Mar. 30, Rashee Rice and friend Teddy Knox (a player for SMU) were involved in a six-car accident in Dallas that left four people injured. Two people were hospitalized over their injuries but released soon after.According to authorities, Rice was driving 119 MPH in his Lamborghini just before the crash. The second-year wide receiver is facing eight charges for his involvement in the accident, with a suspension from the league a strong likelihood.
Speaking to reporters about Rice’s status and Harrison Butker’s controversial comments at his Benedictine College commencement speech, Mahomes offered support for the star wideout while expressing confidence he’ll “learn from it”, per ESPN’s Courtney Cronin:
“I think it’s just trying to do whatever we can to teach him how to learn from his mistakes. I mean, obviously, that was a big mistake. But you have to learn from it, make sure it doesn’t happen again and try to do whatever you can to be the best person you can be in society, not only for yourself but for the people around you.
And I think he is doing that. But right now, we’re just going to keep trying to do whatever we can to get him on the right path so that he can be a great football player, obviously, but we want him to be a great person too.”
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NFL stories via Google!Follow Us
Rashee Rice’s arrest isn’t the only off-the-field distraction the Chiefs are dealing with right now. On May 11, Butker made headlines when he made homophobic, antisemitic, misogynistic and sexist remarks during his speech at Benedictine College.
In his speech, Butker told the female students in the graduating class that they should be “homemakers.” An online petition calling for Kansas City to release Butker has over 224,000 signatures.
Rice was the Chiefs’ top wide receiver of 2023, hauling in 79 receptions for 938 yards and seven touchdowns. In four postseason games, he racked up 26 catches for 262 yards and a touchdown as the Chiefs went on to defeat the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl 58.
Chiefs Will Move Forward With Rashee Rice & Harrison Butker
Going by the comments made by Mahomes and head coach Andy Reid to reporters on Wednesday, it looks like they plan to move forward with Rice and Butker still on the roster.
As noted earlier, there’s a strong possibility of the league suspending Rice. The Chiefs made two big moves at wide receiver that should help them get by during Rice’s absence, having signed Marquise Brown before trading up to select Xavier Worthy in round one.
VIDEO: Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel Was Blindsided By A Harrison Butker Question During Press Conference, And His Reaction Was Perfect
Mike McDaniel and Harrison Butker (Photos via Yahoo Sports Twitter and David Eulitt/Getty Images)Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel had a clear message for Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker, who’s facing backlash over controversial comments he made at a commencement speech earlier this month.On May 11, Harrison Butker spoke to graduating students at Benedictine College, a liberal arts college in Atchison, Kansas. Butker made homophobic, antisemitic, sexist and misogynistic comments during the speech, including a suggestion to the graduating female students that they become “homemakers.”
Butker has faced widespread criticism over his offensive comments. A petition at Change.org calls for the Chiefs to release the veteran kicker, and it’s closing in on 225,000 signatures.
McDaniel was caught off guard with a reporter’s question about Harrison Butker and players openly discussing their beliefs. The third-year HC warned that people in Butker’s situation need to think about the consequences if they decide to express their beliefs:
“You do have to open the eyes of the players to their platform if they’re new to the situation. I think you have to understand what you say…can be fragmented and last with you forever…I really emphasize whatever you’re going to say, you better believe it…(Players) have the freedom of choice, and if they want to go that direction, go right ahead.”
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NFL stories via Google!Follow Us
Butker himself has not addressed the backlash or controversy publicly. Teammate Patrick Mahomes told reporters today that though he doesn’t agree with some of Butker’s statements, the kicker is a “good person.”
Head coach Andy Reid also tried to avoid fueling the controversy, telling reporters that freedom of speech is a special part of the nation.
Mike McDaniel Summed Up Harrison Butker’s Situation Perfectly
The beloved Miami head coach couldn’t have addressed the question about the Butker controversy any better. He stayed away from discussing Butker’s comments and offered an important reminder to players about what can happen when they publicly discuss sensitive topics.
Butker isn’t the first NFL player to receive widespread criticism for making controversial comments on such topics. Look at New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers and his bizarre endorsements of conspiracy theories and misinformation.
But a person with Butker’s platform simply must keep in mind what can happen when they say too much publicly. Whether he intended to or not, Butker has already lost a large portion of his many fans across the NFL world. All because he didn’t want to keep his beliefs to himself.
