Editor's update: Kansas City Chiefs WR Rashee Rice accepted a six-game suspension to start the season. He is OUT against the LA Chargers in Week 1.
Rashee Rice's availability for the Kansas City Chiefs has a direct impact on the start of the season for the LA Chargers. After Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison received a three-game suspension to start the season, many Chargers fans assumed they would not see Rice in Sal Paulo in Week 1.
However, initial reports indicated that Rice's disciplinary hearing wouldn't come until late in September, opening the door for him to play the first three games of the season. Rice's perceived availability completely changed the outlook of the Chargers' Week 1 game.
That perceived availability may not be the reality, though. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Wednesday that the NFL is aiming for at least a six-game suspension for Rice, which would kick in at the start of the regular season. If that happens, Rice will not suit up against the Chargers in Week 1.
Rashee Rice suspension update could shift the outcome of Chargers-Chiefs in Week 1
Chiefs fans are naturally going to be confident heading into Week 1 and it's hard to blame them. Kansas City has dominated the AFC West and the Chargers haven't beaten their division counterparts in a game with starters since 2021.
Even with their flaws, the Chargers are going to be a tough team to beat this season with Jim Harbaugh in his second year back in the NFL. That challenge is even more difficult if Patrick Mahomes doesn't have his No. 1 weapon to throw to.
The Chiefs did fine in the games Rice missed last season from a win-loss standpoint but it's safe to say the offense lacked explosiveness. Mahomes had the worst pro season of his career and the Chiefs' offense ranked 15th in the NFL in total points. With no new weapons to really address that, it's hard to imagine Kansas City's offense suddenly turning explosive.
In fact, you can make the case the Chargers have a better receiving corps than the Chiefs if Rice isn't playing. Ladd McConkey is the best receiver on either team (even when Rice is healthy) and the depth in the room is the best it has been in years. The Chiefs do not have that same luxury, and it may show up in Brazil without their top weapon.
Due to the nature of the matchup and how important Rice is for the Chiefs' offense, this really could be a case where one player's availability can change the entire outcome. It is going to be a close game either way, and Rice's availability can legitimately be the difference between a three-point Chiefs' win and a four-point Chiefs loss.
If the NFL follows through with this suspension then the odds of the Chargers starting 1-0 are much, much higher.