Ray Rice is so desperate for another shot at the NFL that it’s reached the point where he is willing to play for free. Rice has not played since 2014, after his suspension for the infamous domestic incident with his then fiance, that was caught on video. The Ravens cut him that year and no other team has signed him since.
Rice still thinks he can play and would like another opportunity to perform, so he recently told USA Today that he would be willing to donate his entire 2016 salary to education and prevention programs for domestic violence.
Rice said the following to USA Today:
All the scrutiny that I’ve got, it was deserved, because domestic violence is a horrible thing,” said Rice, the three-time Pro Bowl running back banished by the NFL (but later reinstated on appeal) amid outrage over the video recorded nearly 2 ½ years ago.
“Me donating my salary is something that’ll be from the heart for me. I only want to play football so I can end it the right way for my kids and for the people that really believed in me. But I know there’s a lot of people affected by domestic violence, and every dollar helps. It’s raising awareness.
“People need homes. People need shelter when they’re in a crucial situation. I’ve donated a lot of money to charities, but I had a situation where it was a national crisis. I’m not saying I’d be (donating the salary) to get on the field, but it’s something that will show where my heart is. My heart is about finishing the right way and helping people along the way.
“I think the biggest donation that you can give to domestic violence is your time,” Rice said. “I’m not just going to be giving it because I have money. I’m going to be giving it because I did the background and the research and spent a lot of time with people who understand the cause.
“The only way to fix the problem is awareness. It’s an epidemic. I know that my situation raised awareness. I’m not thankful for being that guy, but I’m thankful for the people that now are not afraid to ask for help, because I had to go get the help myself after to realize the severity of what domestic violence is.”
This a good idea by Rice and his camp and his heart seems to be in the right place, but it may be too late at this point. The video tape of him assaulting his wife is too devastating and damages the brand of any team that would decided to sign him. Rice is also approaching 30 with his best years behind him, and we are now seeing a trend of teams moving away from one single back, and deploying several young backs that share a heavy load. Couple that with the NFL’s new focus on domestic violence, it’s likely game over for Ray Rice.