Ray Rice is still waiting for another chance in the NFL, and it may never come. There have been several teams looking for running back help, and not one of them has shown serious interest in bringing the former All Pro.
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Rice missed all of the 2014 thanks to his suspension and subsequent release from the Baltimore Ravens after the domestic violence episode involving he and his wife (though she was only his fiancée then) Janay. By all accounts, Rice has served his punishment, so why has he not gotten another chance?
Greg Hardy just signed a one-year deal with the Dallas Cowboys, and although he may get suspended, he will play for most of the season in all likelihood. Adrian Peterson missed 2014 because of child abuse charges, and he will take the field somewhere in 2015. What separates Ray Rice from those two?
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The obvious answer is the elevator video. There is no video floating around of what Greg Hardy allegedly did. And although there is photo evidence of Peterson's child abuse, there is also no video.
Seeing the video causes a visceral reaction in a way that photos and police reports cannot. It is the reason why the alleged Dez Bryant video was such a big story (and will be again if it ever breaks). People cannot un-see those types of things, and they remember them forever.
Many players and former coaches have spoken highly of Rice since the incident, and they have said they would like to see him get another chance.
But for front offices, the decision also factors in the backlash from the general public, the scorn from the media, the potential loss of fans and sponsors, and the fact that Rice was ineffective the last time that he was on an NFL field.
Obviously Rice may get another chance one day, but the combination of his age and that abhorrent video make it seem pretty unlikely.
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