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Travis Kelce really wants Rashee Rice back on the field.
No matter who sneaks into Chiefs games these days, the sports team cannot seem to catch a break.
Some would say that this is just what happens when a famous athlete commits multiple felonies involving a multi-car crash. They miss some games, and that hurts the team.
Kelce seems to think that his brief suspension is still too harsh, somehow. And that’s rubbing a lot of people the wrong way.
Travis Kelce seems to be supporting Rashee Rice no matter what
On March 30, 2024, Travis Kelce’s fellow Kansas City Chiefs player Rashee Rice was driving a Lamborghini in Dallas when he became involved in a now-infamous vehicular crash.
The “chain” collision involved several other vehicles, including another that Rice was leasing.
Over a week later, authorities issued a warrant for his arrest.
Rice pleaded guilty to two third-degree felonies.
Despite the severity of the crash, his sentence involved only 30 days behind bars — and 5 years probation and paying out-of-pocket healthcare treatments for injuries.
Rice also received a six-game suspension from playing football.
Missing several weeks of work could be devastating for anyone, though perhaps less so for someone with an estimated net worth of several million.
(To be fair, that net worth is likely to continue to decrease given lawsuit settlements, including some that are still pending)
However, Rice’s most famous teammate seems to object to this extremely brief NFL suspension. And he’s making a statement about it.
Free 4 pic.twitter.com/v5tYHZb6Ul
— BBQ Chiefs (@BBQChiefs) September 14, 2025
Yes, people saw that clownery
During a pregame warmup, Travis Kelce wore a shirt that is a tribute to Rashee Rice.
In some sports, it is customary to refer to players by their jersey number. Rice’s is 4.
So “Free 4” refers to wanting Rice back on the field.
Kelce is getting roasted on social media. And an attorney representing one of the injured parties from the 2024 crash isn’t feeling impressed, either.
Marc Lenahan is an attorney representing Kathryn Kuykendall after last year’s vehicular disaster. He’s taking aim at Kelce and also at his teammate, Tyquan Thornton.
“I respect that Kelce and Thornton support their teammate, but the ‘gym teacher’ needs to talk with the history teacher,” Lenahan quipped to TMZ Sports.
“Rashee isn’t Nelson Mandela or Pepe Mujica, men who fought for what they believed in,” Lenahan emphasized.
“There is evidence that Rashee was going 119 mph in a $1,749 per day Lambo rental that had pot and a pistol in it, on a highway on Easter weekend.”
Did he take loyalty too far? What’s he thinking?
“Free Rashee? He already thinks he’s getting away scot-free,” Lenahan claimed.
“He’s not paid a single cent of the $1.1 million judgment he already owes our client,” the attorney continued, “who is living anything but pain-free.”
Some fans may defend Taylor Swift’s fiance by suggesting that they believe him to be kind of dumb and that he perhaps did not think of what his shirt is really saying.
But maybe we don’t need to be apologists for Kelce?
If he puts his foot in his mouth, he can take it out himself. Let Kelce explain why he thinks that missing six sportsball games is somehow too harsh a penalty.
