The Detroit Lions will not have to deal with one of the Kansas City Chief's most potent playmaker when the two teams clash in Week 6. Rashee Rice, the Chiefs' top receiver, will be suspended by the NFL for six games as a part of discipline associated with a high-speed crash he was involved in last year in Houston, Texas.
Rice, only 25 years old, is set to miss another big chunk of time for the Chiefs in 2025 after only playing in four games back in 2024 due to a knee injury. Now, he'll only be suiting up for 11 games if healthy for the rest of the year after his suspension is served.
Kansas City has struggled to find a consistent WR1 for superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Xavier Worthy showed flashes of greatness last year as a rookie, and the team is also going to have to rely on Hollywood Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuester, Tyquan Thornton, Jason Brownlee, and rookie Jalen Royals in addition to Worthy to pick up the slack.
Lions catch a huge break for Week 6 bout against Chiefs
Kansas City is a perpetual Super Bowl possibility with Mahomes at the helm, which makes this Week 6 game a potential Super Bowl preview. The Lions have not faced off much with the Chiefs over the last few years, with their last contest coming in 2023. That game saw Detroit shocking Kansas City in Week 1 to kick off a successful 2023 season for the Lions.
This year, Detroit's secondary is hoping to remain as healthy as possible for the entire season in order to gain some momentum over the powerhouses they're facing this year. The Lions' schedule is the second-toughest in the NFL, per Tankathon, so getting a bit of help by way of Rice getting suspended for their contest against one another is a nice help.
READ MORE: Lions add more help for Kalif Raymond and Khalil Dorsey with latest signing
Still, the Chiefs are a force. They still have an elite pass rush thanks to Chris Jones and George Karlaftis, and the Lions are dealing with a very revamped offensive line tasked with protecting Jared Goff against forces like them. Their defensive backs are still going to be dealing with a handful with Worthy, who is one of the fastest receivers in the league.
Detroit's schedule up to this Chiefs game includes a road game to open up the year against the Green Bay Packers, hosting Week 2 against the Chicago Bears, and visiting the Baltimore Ravens in Week 3. The Lions have to be feeling some relief with this huge Week 6 update.