3 Chiefs Starters Who Will Be Benched this Season

The Kansas City Chiefs are about to officially begin their quest to win a third-straight Super Bowl, a feat that has never been accomplished in the history of the league. If they are going to do that, it might require some brutal decisions along the way, including potentially benching some starting players.

We know there are players in Kansas City in absolutely no danger of being benched, like Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, but which players might actually end up riding the pine as the season progresses?

Whether it's on-field performance or off-field issues, there are a number of Chiefs players whose jobs could be in jeopardy entering the 2024 season.

1. Rashee Rice, wide receiver

In terms of on-field performance, I don't think there's really any danger for Rashee Rice of potentially being benched. He's one of the most dynamic players the Chiefs have in their offensive arsenal right now.

With that being said, Rice still faces eight charges from Dallas Police, even though the NFL is going to let the legal process play out before making a determination regarding Rice's playing status. Whenever that ends up happening, the league could crack down on Rice and it might not be at the most opportune time for the Chiefs.

So while Rice may not be "benched" for performance-related reasons, he could end up getting sidelined by the NFL for violating the league's personal conduct policy during the offseason. Rice maintained throughout the course of Chiefs camp that he was working on being the best person and player he could be to help the Chiefs, and until the NFL determines a next step, he almost undoubtedly will be.

But until we hear definitively otherwise, there remains a chance that Rice will be benched -- by force -- for some stretch this season.