Ray Rice Could Be Reinstated To NFL Within A Month

Former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice could be reinstated to the NFL within a month as an appeal hearing date has been set against his indefinite suspension.

The hearing may be settled by mid-November, which could allow Rice to sign with another team this season for Week 10 or 11. Even so, finding a team to sign him will be difficult considering the PR hit it would cause.

When the TMZ video emerged of Rice striking his then-fiancée in an elevator, many thought he would never play in the NFL again. Considering how much backlash the league received from fans and domestic violence organizations, it seemed like Rice’s career was over forever.

However, according to CBS Sports reporter Jason La Canfora, Rice has a strong case to end his  indefinite suspension in spite of the backlash.

Rice has insisted he didn’t lie in his testimony to Commissioner Roger Goodell. His legal team will most likely make the case that even under the NFL’s new domestic violence policy, as a first-time offender Rice should be suspended for six games, which has already passed.

Additionally, his legal team will also point out that the video tape of Rice hitting his now-wife Janay in February was available to the team and league throughout the process of determining his discipline. The NFL only took stronger action against Rice when the video was brought to the public, but the team and league had seen it sooner and acted accordingly.

If Rice’s case stands, the question becomes could the Colts or Patriots pick him up? According to Canfora, Chuck Pagano, former Ravens assistant coach and current coach of the Colts, thinks highly of Ray Rice. Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots was close with Rice’s college coach and could conceivably sign him as well.

Nonetheless, if Ray Rice is reinstated to the NFL within the month, the controversial player will struggle to convince even these sympathetic teams to sign him. Still, the possibility remains.