Rashee Rice’s Contract: Chiefs Deal and 2027 Free Agency Outlook as of Nov. 6, 2026

Verified: November 6, 2026, at 1:03 a.m. UTC (November 5 at 8:03 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, UTC−05:00).

Rashee Rice is playing the final season of the four-year, $6.5 million rookie contract he signed with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2023. The wide receiver is scheduled to earn a $1.64 million base salary in 2026 and is projected to become an unrestricted free agent in 2027, according to contract tracker Over The Cap.

The contract is drawing renewed attention after Rice filed for bankruptcy on November 4. The Associated Press reported that the filing listed approximately $3.5 million in debts, much of it connected to civil litigation involving a 2024 crash and an alleged assault. The filing does not itself establish a new Chiefs contract or change the published terms of his existing deal.

Destaques

• Rice’s original four-year contract was worth $6,495,218, including a $1,723,796 signing bonus.
• His scheduled 2026 base salary is $1,635,711, and his listed salary-cap charge is $2,066,660.
• As a second-round pick, Rice does not have the rookie fifth-year team option reserved for first-round picks.
• He is on track for unrestricted free agency in 2027, subject to a new agreement or another applicable roster mechanism.

What is the latest news about Rashee Rice’s contract?

Rice remains on the rookie deal he signed on June 15, 2023, according to Over The Cap. Its current contract listing identifies 2026 as the fourth year and 2027 as his projected unrestricted free-agent year. The figures are a snapshot of a contract database, not a public copy of his signed agreement, and can change if the deal is amended.

On November 5, the Associated Press reported on Rice’s bankruptcy filing, which listed $677,054 in personal assets as well as the claimed debts. AP reported that Rice disputed potential debts in ongoing civil cases. Those figures describe the filing, while the contract’s face value describes compensation over multiple seasons; they are not equivalent measures of cash currently available to him.

How much is Rashee Rice’s Chiefs contract worth?

Over The Cap lists the original agreement at $6,495,218 over four years, an average of approximately $1.62 million per season. It reports $3,519,033 in fully guaranteed money, including the signing bonus and guaranteed salary. The guarantee figure is part of the contract’s total value, not an additional payment on top of it.

Here is the tracker’s breakdown of the original annual base salaries and signing-bonus allocation:

These are the listed contract amounts, not a promise that every dollar was or will be paid. Over The Cap’s history shows reduced 2025 cash earnings compared with the original base salary. Rice served a six-game NFL suspension that season following the league’s personal-conduct investigation into the crash, as the Associated Press reported. Taxes, fees and other obligations also mean the headline contract value should not be treated as take-home pay.

What is Rice’s 2026 salary-cap hit?

Over The Cap lists Rice’s 2026 cap charge at $2,066,660: his $1,635,711 base salary plus $430,949 in allocated signing bonus. It lists the base salary as not guaranteed. The tracker also shows the same $1,635,711 as his scheduled 2026 cash payout.

Cash salary and cap charge answer different questions. Cash payout describes money scheduled to be paid to the player for that year; a cap charge is the amount counted against the team’s annual salary cap. The signing bonus was paid under the contract’s terms but is spread across the contract years for cap-accounting purposes. The listed charge does not mean Rice receives the bonus allocation again in 2026.

When can Rashee Rice become a free agent?

Rice is projected to reach unrestricted free agency in 2027, after the 2026 season and the expiration of his current deal. That is a projection, not a guarantee that he will sign elsewhere: Kansas City could negotiate a new agreement, and other NFL rules could affect his route to the market.

The Chiefs selected Rice with the 55th overall pick in the second round of the 2023 draft, as their official player profile notes. Under the NFL’s rookie contract rules, drafted rookies receive four-year contracts, while the standard fifth-year team option applies to first-round selections. Kansas City therefore cannot use that rookie option to add a fifth season to Rice’s deal.

What could affect Rice’s next contract?

His production, health and availability will all be relevant to any negotiation, but neither the value nor the destination of a future contract is established. Rice had 938 receiving yards and seven receiving touchdowns as a rookie, according to the Chiefs’ player information and statistical record. Injuries and the 2025 suspension subsequently limited his availability.

His legal history is also part of the context teams may assess. Rice pleaded guilty to two felony charges stemming from the 2024 Dallas crash, and he served time in 2026 after a probation violation, the Associated Press reported. How any team weighs those circumstances is a future judgment; the bankruptcy filing alone does not tell readers what a new deal would be worth.

For now, the practical distinction is between the scheduled $1.64 million salary in the final year of the existing agreement and the unknown price of a potential next contract. Any extension, tag or move to another team would require a separate development.

FAQ

How much does Rashee Rice make in 2026?

His listed 2026 base salary is $1,635,711, according to Over The Cap. That is a scheduled gross amount, not his after-tax income.

Is Rice’s entire $6.5 million contract guaranteed?

No. Over The Cap lists $3,519,033 as fully guaranteed, including his signing bonus.

Does Rice have a fifth-year rookie option?

No. The rookie fifth-year team option applies to first-round picks, and Rice was selected in the second round.