Rashee Rice is one of the most complex characters in the NFL today. He is a phenomenal football player when healthy, as evidenced by his 938-yard debut in 2023, but injuries and legal issues have prevented him from realizing his full potential. And on Friday, a sombering update emerged regarding the latter.NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported that the league office had proposed a lengthy suspension that would sideline the Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver for more than half of the 2025 season. However, he also expressed both sides' hope of reaching a settlement before they meet on September 30:The proposal arises from Rice's involvement in an automobile accident in 2024. Facing one count each of collision involving serious bodily injury and racing on a highway causing bodily injury, he pled guilty and was initially sentenced to 30 days in jail and five years' probation and ordered to pay the victims' medical expenses out of pocket last month. He also settled with two of them, but still faces a lawsuit from a third.In a related development, the Chiefs announced that they had cleared him to travel to Brazil for their Week 1 clash against the Los Angeles Chargers in Sao Paulo:MarkMaske @MarkMaskeLINKRashee Rice, through the Chiefs, has received clearance to travel with the team and be permitted to enter Brazil for the Week 1 game there Sept. 5 against the Chargers, source says, following his guilty plea last month to two felonies.Mike Florio calls NFL's handling of Rashee Rice case a bad look for the leagueIn the 2010s, the NFL suffered a hit to its image after mishandling the domestic violence cases of Ray Rice and Josh Brown. Now, according to NBC's Mike Florio, it may be doing the same with Rashee Rice.According to him, the unusual way the league has handled the situation - holding off on a resolution until well after he had pled guilty and been sentenced - has only exacerbated speculation of favoritism towards the Chiefs, especially as they play six consecutive nationally prominent games on various major media platforms to kick off their season:"At a time when the tinfoil-hat crowd is looking for evidence to legitimize the misguided conspiracy theories, the NFL tossed a raw steak into the cage. If anything, the unfounded perception that the league deliberately favors the Chiefs should have compelled the league to ensure that Rice’s case was resolved ASAFP."One comparison he makes is with the Minnesota Vikings' Jordan Addison, who was suspended for the first three games for violating the substance abuse policy shortly after settling a DUI case.