The Kansas City Chiefs were already looking at drafting a wide receiver in the first round this year before reports surfaced of Rashee Rice’s involvement in a speed-racing crash in Dallas in late March. The Chiefs need to be proactive in the wide receiver market as Rice faces an uncertain future in the league. They could land a disgruntled San Francisco 49ers receiver before the draft.
The NFL is monitoring Rice’s situation with the legal system in Texas. Rice turned himself in to authorities this week after reports emerged that he faces eight charges in connection to the crash incident. Rice is expected to face a suspension from the league, but his playing career could be over after one season.
Kansas City Chiefs WR Rashee Rice is facing decades in prison
Per Shannon Power with Newsweek, Rice potentially faces up to 35 years in prison:
Super Bowl winner Rashee Rice potentially faces 35 years in prison over his involvement in a high-speed collision…
Rice has admitted involvement in the crash and faces charges for eight alleged felonies according to the warrant cited by local media outlet WFAA: six counts of collision involving bodily injury, one count of collision involving serious bodily injury, and one count of aggravated assault.
Rice was the Chiefs’ best target on an otherwise awful receiver corps. The Chiefs led the league in drops last season. The team added Marquise Brown on a one-year deal, but the team needs a long-term solution to pair with Patrick Mahomes.
They could pursue 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. The 49ers and Aiyuk aren’t close to negotiating a new deal with their No. 1 receiver. While the 49ers said last month they don’t intend to trade Aiyuk, they could be forced into making a swap before the draft.
Aiyuk wants to be paid nearly $30 million a year. The 49ers don’t have much cap space with Brock Purdy eligible for an extension before the 2025 season. If Aiyuk doesn’t receive an extension before September, he will be asked to play for $14.1 million for the 2024 season.
The San Francisco 49ers could trade Brandon Aiyuk before the draft
That seems like a non-starter for Aiyuk, who has been the subject of trade rumors this offseason. Reports surfaced this week that he unfollowed the 49ers on his Instagram. As previously discussed on GH, an NFL insider suggested the 49ers could be open to trading Aiyuk near the draft:
“At the annual league meeting last week, the 49ers denied they were fielding trade offers for Aiyuk. However, Albert Breer with Sports Illustrated isn’t sure that policy will last. Breer suggested the 49ers are in a weak position to sign Aiyuk and could be persuaded into trading the 26-year-old:
The Brandon Aiyuk negotiation won’t be easy for the San Francisco 49ers. And I wonder what they do when teams start sniffing around with trade offers as we get closer to the draft.”
The longer the 49ers’ process to extend Aiyuk drags on, the more likely the front office will realize they need to trade him.
The Chiefs and 49ers fought a tough battle on the field in February; they could have another war in the front office in April.
Proposed trade
Chiefs receive:
- Brandon Aiyuk
49ers receive:
- 2024 No. 32 pick
- 2025 third-round pick (from Tennessee)
The Chiefs would have to make cap room for Aiyuk
The Chiefs have a limited budget, but their situation isn’t as dire as the 49ers. Per Over The Cap, the Chiefs have $19 million in cap space for the 2024 season. They have $40 million in surplus for 2025 and $119 million for 2026. The Chiefs could move some money around and extend Aiyuk, where his cap hit will spread into the future.
Aiyuk would give Mahomes a sure target, as the 49ers’ former first-round pick has had back-to-back seasons with over 1,000 yards receiving. He’d pair well with Brown to give Patrick Mahomes experienced elite wide receiver play for the Chiefs’ threepeat opportunity.
The 49ers would have a chance to save on cap space for the next few seasons. Purdy would still have Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, and Christian McCaffrey to target in an offense that predominantly features the rushing attack.
They could use the Chiefs’ extra picks to fill other roster holes and take a younger wide receiver in this year’s stacked draft class.
For More Football News:
Follow me on Twitter at @JordanSig. You can also reach out to Jordan Sigler via email at jordanmsigler@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in college and NFL news, click here!
13 Comments
Are you crazy they would never let him go to the chiefs
Sure they will
Aiyuk is not a 30 million a year guy. He is a poor man’s Terrel Owens. 9 million a year, Tops
Talk about click bait! 35 years in prison! No one died stop trying to destroy people’s lives. Rice is 23 years old young and silly and he will pay for his silliness,but this should not be an incident that ruins his whole life. Kick rocks,!
He wont do jail time but he should be suspended without pay by the nfl pending the criminal investigation and the chiefs should cut him
Agreed. Over a 10 years sentence for a 20 year old who screwed up as crazy. Let’s stop locking people up forever. This is getting stupid.
Very well said! The author is high on rice cakes. A dweeb. Could never play sports, not even as a water boy. No case in Texas carries up to 35 numb nuts. 2-20 or 5-99! Go sharpen some pencils then trip and fall why don’t ya?!
Aiyuk isn’t Jefferson and I wouldn’t even say he’s a top 5 receiver… 30 million a year is crack prices !
Aiyuk isnt eben a Top 20 WR , much less a Top 5 ….. Some people be crazy !!!!!!!
Drug dealers face less time than Rice is facing.
Everyone is ok, thank God, Get a lawyer, Get back to Football with the Chiefs
This guy is just straight full of crap… You don’t know exactly what’s going on with this case, and to say he’s going to spend that many years in jail is beyond stupid..
Doubtful the 49ers trade him…BUT…you have LOST your mind if you think they would trade him to the Chiefs even if he is traded. Absolutely crap take.