It was always assumed that his grievance hearing would be the least of Ray Rice’s worries. After being reinstated by Judge Barbara Jones, Rice must now go through the difficult process of finding a team willing to sign him.
Ian Rapoport is reporting that despite a handful of teams being interested in his services, Rice is unlikely to play a down this season.
A “handful of teams” have already expressed some level of interest in the former Ravens running back, who won his appeal on Friday and is free to sign with any team, NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported on NFL GameDay Morning. Despite the interest, though, it’s not likely a team adds the 27-year-old for the season’s stretch run, Rapoport adds.
Per Rapoport, one general manager said he would not touch Rice, while another, whose team was “not so good,” suggested he might be interested if his team was better.
At the moment, Rice has maintained his game shape and is eager to get back onto the field, but as Rapoport noted, there seems to be a divide among general managers. On one hand, a contending team devoid of dependable running back help could easily fill a void. On the other, there are plenty of social obstacles to consider; how quickly could Rice be forgiven by a jury of his own peers
Time heals all wounds, so Rice is likely to to have a better shot after February.
