Will Ray Rice Get Another Chance in the NFL?

Photo Credit: Andrew Weber/USA TODAY Sports

Ray Rice. When anyone even mentions that name, multiple thoughts come to mind. Most of the thoughts are obviously on his domestic violence case, suspension, and eventually being cut from the Baltimore Ravens.

Currently, Rice is trying to put his past behind him which is certainly easier said than done. The video of Rice striking his then fiancé (now wife) Janay Palmer sparked some issues throughout the NFL and throughout the media in general. Most of the controversy revolved around the NFL’s poorly executed punishment for Rice and the video that ended up circulating around the internet weeks after the punishment was handed down.

The only silver lining throughout this whole situation is the NFL finally updated their personal conduct policy which was announced by Roger Goodell to team owners. The letter eventually made its way to ESPN, “Violations of the Personal Conduct Policy regarding assault, battery, domestic violence and sexual assault that involve physical force will be subject to enhanced discipline. A player’s first offense will be subject to a suspension of six weeks without pay…,” the document revealed. While some may think that the first offense is too harsh, if a player gets caught twice, the player is ban from the NFL for the rest of their life.

With the recent revival of Greg Hardy and Adrian Peterson, now looks like the optimal time for a comeback. For his comeback, Rice has enlisted the help of Greg Schiano along with other unnamed participants. Schiano was formerly the head football coach at Rutgers University, where Rice played, and of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Right now, Schiano seems to be Rice’s most promising connection for getting back into the NFL. It has been rumored that Schiano along with Rice and other participants are working to get Rice signed with a team before training camps open.

The only problem with that approach is the teams. It’s about which teams are willing to gamble on Rice. With such a high-profile incident, signing Rice would be a risky move, a move that some teams would not want to deal with. All the publicity around Rice, especially the video is what scares teams off and with good reason.

If the video wasn’t enough to scare teams off, Rice’s abilities could be a deciding factor too. Rice hasn’t played a single game in the NFL in over a year even though sources have reported that he is still in playing shape. Even if Rice is in shape, his absence from the NFL and their playbook is certainly going to make a difference. Almost two years without looking at an NFL playbook is going to take a toll on a player, regardless of the circumstances. Rice was also not playing to the best of his ability during his last few seasons with the Ravens.

He is also reported to not be motivated by money which seems unlikely. If Rice is not motivated by money and just because he loves the game, why would he do what he did in the first place? As of right now, Rice lives in Connecticut with his wife and has received little interest from NFL teams.