"Rashee Rice isn't Nelson Mandela": Travis Kelce blasted by car crash victim's lawyer for wearing “Free 4” shirt amid $1,100,000 lawsuit judgment

During the pregame warms up for the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce wore a t-shirt signalling his support for Rashee Rice.

Rice is currently suspended for six games due to the player being involved in a lawsuit over a car crash that he caused last year.

Marc Lenahan, the lawyer representing one of the victims of the crash, spoke with TMZ Sports on Monday, stating his disapproval for the wearing of the shirts by some of the Chiefs players.

"Rashee isn't Nelson Mandela or Pepe Mujica, men who fought for what they believed in. There is evidence that Rashee was going 119 mph in a $1,749 per day Lambo rental that had pot and a pistol in it, on a highway on Easter weekend. Free Rashee? He already thinks he's getting away scot-free. He's not paid a single cent of the $1.1 million judgment he already owes our client, who is living anything but pain-free."

The shirts had the message "Free 4" on them, in reference to both Rice's jersey number and his current suspension. This could be impled that Rice's suspension is akin to a jail sentence and that Rice is being held their unfairly. Lenahan sees this potential connection, and references Nelson Mandela and former President of Uruguay Pepe Mujica in his statement

These are two leaders who before coming to power in their respective countries, were held as a political prisoner, arrested for what they believed. These arrests were accompanied by an international pouring of support to free these people. Rice is not a political prisoner, nor was he wrongly arrested.

His punishment over the incident from the NFL has been to miss six games, a third of the season.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid explains why Travis Kelce wore the shirt

Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid explained on Monday why he thought Travis Kelce and company wore these shirts before the game.

“I know these guys love Rashee. They feel for him sitting out. I think it’s no more than that.”

The absence of Rice has left a hole in the Chief offense, one that if the first two games of the season are anything to go by, the team has struggled to fill.

Coming into their week three clash with the New York Giants, the Chiefs have a 0-2 record and have not been their usual self on the field. This may be something that the late arrival of Rice could fix, but there is a chance that the damage has already been done for their postseason hopes.