Are the Chiefs the NFL's new bad boys? They're widely regarded as America's team during this run toward three straight Super Bowl titles, but their troubles with the law seem to be piling up lately.
In March of 2024, Andy Reid's son and former Chiefs assistant coach Britt Reid had his prison sentence commuted by Missouri Governor Mike Parson. Britt Reid was convicted in 2021, when he was on the Chiefs staff and just days before the Super Bowl, of drunk driving and causing serious physical injury — a girl was tragically left with severe brain injuries as a result of his actions, yet he served less than half of his prison sentence.
Also in March of 2024, Chiefs breakout wide receiver Rashee Rice was arrested in Dallas for car racing that resulted in a huge crash, and he's accused of fleeing the scene before he knew if anyone was hurt or required medical attention. Two people did end up needing to go to the hospital, and yet Rice is inexplicably still allowed to play this NFL season.
Many want to know, how is this possible? NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy responded at a press conference on August 29, “We don’t anticipate he’ll be placed on commissioner’s exempt (list) unless there is a material change in the case.”
To date, for most players given paid leave and placed on the commissioner's exempt list, it tends to involve domestic violence cases — but shouldn't the NFL want to dissuade behavior like a hit-and-run as well?
And this criminal behavior isn't limited to players and staff, but also the fan base! Chiefs superfan Xaviar Babudar, better known as “Chiefsaholic” was sentenced to 17-and-a-half years in prison without parole and three years of supervised release at the start of the 2024 NFL season for committing a string of armed bank robberies across the United States.
Chiefsaholic is a fan-favorite who regularly attended Chiefs' home games in a full gray wolf suit and Chiefs gear. He was able to sit in the premium seats in large part due to the over eight-hundred-thousand dollars he stole in 11 robberies across 7 states!
Other Chiefs players such as Isaiah Buggs, Chukwuebuka Godrick and Wanya Morris have been arrested this year as well. Granted, the Chiefs released Buggs from the team after his multiple arrests, and Godrick and Morris' arrests were misdemeanors, but all of this negative publicity is definitely making the Chiefs' clean-cut image take a hit.
So while the feel-good story of whether the Chiefs can win three Super Bowls in a row continues to percolate in Kansas City, there might just be a bigger, more troubling plot line brewing below the surface for the NFL.
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