Overview

• The NFL set Rice’s hearing for September 30, meaning he can play in the first four or five regular-season games including the Week 1 opener in São Paulo
• Rice has already pleaded guilty to a 2024 Dallas street-racing crash and was sentenced to 30 days in jail to be served within five years, five years’ probation, and a civil settlement exceeding $1 million
• An unnamed league source described the delayed timing as “unusual,” and the NFL has offered no public rationale for scheduling the hearing after the season starts
• According to NFL Media, the league initially sought a double-digit game suspension but parties including the NFLPA, Rice’s attorney and agent pushed for a significantly reduced penalty
• Sources say it remains possible that the NFL and Rice’s representatives could strike a pre-hearing agreement to impose a suspension effective at the season’s start