More than a year after the road traffic accident that brought Rashee Rice headlines of a different sort, the Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver has been sentenced to a combination of prison and probation.

Rice was initially charged with aggravated assault, plus one count of collision involving serious injury and six additional counts of a collision involving injury, having admitted to being involved in a six-car pile-up on the Central Expressway in Dallas in March of 2024. The Super Bowl winner was at the wheel of a Lamborghini SUV and racing a Chevrolet Corvette, before losing control and striking the central barrier at high speed. The collision then sent the Lamborghini back into passing cars, causing a chain reaction that left four people in hospital with minor injuries.

Having been allowed to play in the 2024 NFL season, Rice would have featured in another Super Bowl with the Chiefs had he not torn his ACL in the opening weeks, but remained at the centre of speculation regarding potential punishment throughout. His case was aggravated by the decision of all occupants of the Lamborghini and Corvette to flee the scene without checking on the condition of anyone else involved in the accident.

With the case having finally come to court, Rice reached agreement with the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office, pleading guilty to third-degree crimes — collision involving serious bodily injury, and racing on a highway causing serious bodily injury — which has resulted in him being sentenced to five years of deferred probation and 30 days in jail as a condition of that probation. Rice was also ordered to pay nearly $115,500 to cover the victims’ medical costs — having already resolved one of three pending civil cases for more than $1m.

“Mr Rice was operating a 2020 Lamborghini Urus SUV when he made multiple aggressive manoeuvres around traffic, driving at 119 miles per hour just 4.5 seconds prior to the first impact, ultimately taking faulty evasive action, and striking other vehicles,” a district attorney office statement revealed. “This caused a chain reaction that affected multiple vehicles. After the collision, Mr Rice failed to check on the welfare of the victims and fled on foot.”

With the legal process apparently over, attention will now turn to whatever belated punishment the NFL decides to hand down under its wide-ranging personal conduct policy. Although Rice has appeared contrite in the wake of what happened in Dallas, continuing to apologise and preach safe driving habits in a post-sentencing statement of his own, his decision to flee the scene could turn the league’s hand towards a lengthier suspension than usually levied for involvement in an accident of that nature.

“The baseline for the NFL Personal Conduct Policy is six games,” NFL insider Jonathan Jones told SI.com. “Video from the scene saw Rashee Rice and others emerge from the car, taking their belongings and leaving the scene. Then it took a couple of days [before] Rice apologised profusely and took full responsibility.

”[Howevert] the NFL will consider some mitigating factors, [such as] his apology, that he will do community work, that he will do a five-year probation sentence, will have to show 30 days jail time at some point within those five years.”

***

Minnesota wide receiver Jordan Addision, meanwhile, is also expected to face sanction from the league after another drawn-out legal hiatus, having been found asleep behind the wheel of a car in Los Angeles. Having postponed a planned jury trial earlier this week, pleaded guilty to the lesser ‘wet reckless’ charge relating to reckless driving with the involvement of alcohol.

As well as facing a minor fine and mandated participation two online awareness courses. Addison will also be placed on probation for 12 months and expects to be sidelined by the NFL for the start of the season, with a first-time DUI offense usually resulting in ‘suspension without pay of three regular or postseason games’.