The Kansas City Chiefs’ wide receiver Rashee Rice has been in a downward spiral. The mother of his two children, Dacoda Nichole Jones, went public on January 7 through Instagram to detail how Rice had allegedly abused her. Then, the team stepped forward and confirmed they were in contact with the league. Now, the NFL has taken a step into the investigation as well.

“We have been in contact with the club about the matter, which will be reviewed under the league’s personal conduct policy,” the NFL’s statement read.

NFL’s personal conduct policy specifies that, “We are all held to a higher standard and must conduct ourselves in a way that is responsible, promotes the values of the NFL, and is lawful. Players convicted of a crime or subject to a disposition of a criminal proceeding are subject to discipline.”

Moreover, even if the conduct does not result in a criminal conviction, if the league believes that the players have engaged in any detrimental conduct, they will be subject to discipline. The very first point under the policy includes domestic violence, among others.

Over the years, the league has confronted many domestic violence cases. While the numbers have significantly dropped, with only five cases recorded in 2024 as compared to eleven a year before that, they have not stopped completely. However, they have improved how the league acts in such instances.

The next step from the league would be investigating the available evidence through attorney Lisa Friel. Once she concludes her work and sends a report to the NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell, the latter will make a final decision.

The league implemented a six-game suspension for first-time offenders that can be adjusted based on aggravating or mitigating factors and a lifetime ban for second offenses. Players can petition for reinstatement after one year. The NFL also mandated annual domestic violence training for all league employees, team owners, staff, and players to avoid such cases. As for the Chiefs, this isn’t a new situation.

One of the biggest news stories that came out of KC was about Kareem Hunt. The NFL suspended him for eight games for his altercation with a woman in a Cleveland hotel in 2018. Later, when a graphic video of him knocking the woman to the ground and kicking her while she was on the ground became a national news story, the team released him.

Something similar may be the case with Rice, given how the league sees his case. But by what is known so far, the chances for his return to KC seem low.

What we know so far

Dacoda Jones, the longtime girlfriend of Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice, took to Instagram with a series of troubling allegations, sharing photos of bruises and scratches on her body she claims were inflicted during their relationship. The post also contained photos of property damage, including multiple pictures of walls with holes in them, a broken cabinet, and a light switch broken in half, as well as a photo of a closet with clothes on the floor.

The two had been together for nearly eight years before recently splitting two months ago. While Nichole Jones did not mention the wideout by name in the caption, she mentioned the person involved was the father of her children. She has two children: Cassai and Cayden with Rice.

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“I’m so tired of keeping quiet I’m so tired of protecting his image,” Nichole wrote in the caption of her Instagram post. “I’ve been through too much in a span of 8 years and I’ve had ENOUGH! I’ve dealt with abuse for years, me and this man decided to break up a couple months ago and since then it’s been nothing but hell.”

She also alleged that Rice had left them in Kansas and that she had to beg for money so that she could drive back to Texas. Moreover, she added that they have an agreement that Rice has not followed.

No police reports were available in the Kansas City suburb of Overland Park, Kansas, where Jones alleges the abuse occurred. For now, Rice or his lawyer hasn’t spoken to anyone about the allegations. However, his grandmother spoke to TMZ Sports and said that Jones was lying because of a dispute over paying for an apartment.

“The NFL is not going to make a disciplinary decision just based on an allegation,” Friel told ESPN in 2024 how the NFL makes its final decision. “We’re going to investigate that allegation, and we have to develop sufficient evidence that what someone is saying really occurred. … Zero games means we couldn’t prove any allegation in those cases.”

It is important to note that the league, the Chiefs, or Jones mentioned Rice by name. This also marks another unwanted chapter for Rashee Rice, who found himself in the spotlight for a separate off-field incident back in 2024.

Rashee Rice was suspended for the car crash incident

Rashee Rice’s off-field troubles go beyond recent allegations. In July 2025, a Dallas County judge sentenced the Chiefs’ wide receiver to 30 days in jail and five years of deferred probation after a plea deal in the March 30, 2024, high-speed multi-car crash that left several people injured. Rice pleaded guilty to two third-degree felony charges.

The WR was also required to pay roughly $115,000 in medical restitution to the victims. His sentence can be served at any point during the probation period, and the NFL later imposed a six-game suspension on him for the 2025 season for violating the personal conduct policy as a result of the incident.

Prosecutors revealed that Rice was driving a Lamborghini Urus SUV at 119mph when he made “multiple aggressive maneuvers around traffic” and struck other vehicles.

With the car crash incident from 2024 and now these domestic abuse allegations, Rice faces his second NFL investigation. As the league’s inquiry unfolds, these mounting off-field issues threaten to derail what was shaping up to be a promising career for the 25-year-old.