The NFL will not discipline Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice following an investigation into allegations of domestic abuse made by his former girlfriend, the league announced Friday.
The NFL said it found insufficient evidence to support a violation of its personal conduct policy and has closed its review of the matter.
“Rice has not engaged in conduct that violates the personal conduct policy,” the league stated.
The allegations surfaced in early January when Dacoda Jones, the mother of Rice’s two children, posted photos on Instagram showing bruises and wounds on her body. She alleged years of abuse by the father of her children but did not name Rice in the since-deleted post. Jones wrote that she was “tired of keeping quiet” after an eight-year relationship that ended in 2025.
In February, Jones filed a civil lawsuit in Texas seeking more than $1 million in damages. The suit accused Rice of repeatedly assaulting her over an 18-month period from 2023 to 2025, including incidents while she was pregnant. It alleged he grabbed, choked, strangled, pushed, threw, scratched, hit and head-butted her, and struck her with objects. One specific claim involved Rice strangling her in December 2023 at their home in Victory Park, Texas.
Rice’s attorney, Sean Lindsey, released a statement after the NFL’s decision.
“Mr. Rice wants to thank the NFL for their thorough investigation, and looks forward to the start of the 2026-27 NFL season,” Lindsey said.
Lindsey had previously cited a sworn affidavit from Jones dated Oct. 9, 2025 — after the couple’s breakup — in which she stated under penalty of perjury that “Mr. Rice and I had a verbal argument, but he did not punch me.”
The Chiefs declined comment on the NFL’s announcement.
Rice, 25, is coming off a season in which he returned from a six-game suspension imposed by the league for his role in a March 2024 high-speed car crash in Dallas. He pleaded guilty to two third-degree felony charges related to the wreck, which injured several people, and was sentenced to 30 days in jail and five years of probation under deferred adjudication.
The personal conduct policy investigation into the abuse claims was separate from the car-crash suspension.
Rice’s attorney said the player would let the civil legal process “run its course.” No criminal charges have been filed against Rice in connection with Jones’ allegations.
Flip the pages for the alleged domestic violence photos that were posted by Dacoda Jones.
