Report: Ray Rice appeal ruling expected early this week
A ruling in Ray Rice's appeal of his indefinite suspension is expected to come early this week, reports Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports.
Rice's two-day hearing for his appeal ended on Nov. 6. Former U.S. district judge Barbara Jones, who is overseeing the appeal, requested that both Rice and the NFL's lawyers present their closing arguments to her, and the case has now been under review for roughly 10 days, according to La Canfora. Jones' ruling is expected before Thanksgiving.
La Canfora reports Rice has been advised that if he is reinstated, teams might not be willing to sign him given his situation, "even potential playoff teams in need of a running back."
Rice is appealing the indefinite suspension handed to him by commissioner Roger Goodell on Sept. 8 following the release of footage showing Rice punching his then-fiancée Janay in an Atlantic City casino elevator.
• Ray Rice's future in the NFL
Goodell suspended Rice for two games over the summer after his arrest on domestic violence charges, and Rice was expected to argue that the commissioner had no basis to extend his suspension from two games to an indefinite period.
There are also questions about whether Goodell saw video showing the punch prior to its release by TMZ, and whether Rice told Goodell what happened in the elevator when the two met during a June 16 meeting.
Goodell has claimed that Rice's account at the June 16 meeting was "ambiguous" and "inconsistent" with the video footage. ESPN has reported that Baltimore Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome testified at Rice's appeal hearing that Rice told Goodell at the June meeting that he punched his then-fiancée.
• MMQB: Courtroom football: Ray Rice vs. the NFL
Rice's hearing reportedly included more than two hours of testimony from Goodell and testimony from Rice, his wife, Newsome, NFL security chief Jeffrey Miller and Ravens president Dick Cass.
La Canfora has said several legal experts told him Rice "has an exceedingly strong case." If his appeal is successful, he could theoretically return to the NFL this season.
The running back has also filed a grievance against the Ravens for terminating his contract just hours before the NFL gave him the indefinite suspension.
- Molly Geary
