With the preseason and roster cutdown deadline officially in the books, the Philadelphia Eagles will now turn their attention towards the regular season.
The defending Super Bowl champs don’t have a favorable schedule to start the 2025 campaign, as they open at home on September 4th against the Dallas Cowboys (Week 1), followed by a Super Bowl rematch against the Kansas City Chiefs on September 14th (Week 2), and an NFC playoff rematch against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 3.
The Eagles cannot look ahead to their Super Bowl rematch against the Chiefs, as they have a huge divisional matchup against the Cowboys.
However, Philadelphia will not have to face one of the Chiefs’ top playmakers in a few weeks, which could make life somewhat easier for them in the secondary.
Chiefs WR Rashee Rice has accepted a six-game suspension that will start in Week 1, per source.
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) August 27, 2025
Rice will be eligible to return Oct. 19 against the Raiders. pic.twitter.com/HTEcjA8cCj
Chiefs WR Rashee Rice to Miss Week 2 Matchup vs. Eagles
On Wednesday, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported that Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice has accepted a six-game suspension that will start in Week 1. Rice won’t be eligible to return until October 19 against the Las Vegas Raiders.
This is huge news not only for the Chiefs but also for the Eagles, who will have a couple of new starters in the secondary at CB2 and safety. However, since Rice spends most of his time in the slot, he would be predominantly matched up against second-year cornerback Cooper DeJean.
Earlier this month, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the young wide receiver would have a disciplinary hearing on September 30. Based on that previous information, Rice would have been available for the Eagles’ matchup in Week 2 and the Chiefs' other games within the first month of the season.
The Eagles faced Rice in Week 11 of the 2023 season, which was his rookie year. Rice had four receptions (five targets) for 42 yards, as the Eagles won 21-17 at Arrowhead.
That said, even with Rice out for this matchup, the Eagles’ defense will still need to keep their eye on Xavier Worthy and Hollywood Brown, who do not need many targets to create a big play in the passing game.
And then there’s also Travis Kelce at tight end, who is looking to have a big year after being a non-factor in the Super Bowl.
The Eagles are still viewed as slight road underdogs (+105) on DraftKings Sportsbook, but that could change depending on how Philadelphia and Kansas City look in their first games of the season.
More Philadelphia Eagles News and Rumors:
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change