Ravens Release RB Ray Rice

The Baltimore Ravens have announced the release of RB Ray Rice on Monday now that the video has surfaced of him punching his then-fiancé.

The #Ravens have terminated RB Ray Rice’s contract this afternoon.

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) September 8, 2014

Roger Goodell has announced that based on the new video evidence released today, Rice has been suspended indefinitely, per Greg Aiello.

• Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports spoke to officials around the league who predict that the Ravens would release Rice.
• ESPN’s Adam Schefter expects it to be a “long time, if ever” before we see Rice playing for another NFL team.

Baltimore and the NFL were limited in what they could do in terms of further punishment now that he had been suspended for two games. Rice was set to return on Friday, but there was almost no way the Ravens could allow him back on the field after the video surfaced of him striking his then-fiancé in such a brutal manner.

The NFL has already reworked their domestic violence policy in recent weeks, however, that has done little to change the perception around the league and with fans.

Albert Breer mentions that the implication from the moves made by the NFL is that they were lied to about Rice’s actions in this situation.

• Jimmy Halsell points out that Rice will count $4.75 million against the Ravens’ 2014 salary cap and another $9.5 million in 2015.
• According to Joel Corry, the Ravens will free up $3,529,412 in cap space for the 2014 season.
• Andrew Brandt mentions that Rice is not entitled to his 2014 salary as a vested veteran because he had to be on the team’s 53-man roster at the start of the season, but he was still on the suspended list.
• Baltimore has already paid Rice a total of $24 million, which includes a $15M signing bonus, $2M base salary, and a $7M option paid out in March, according to Andrew Brandt.

Rice, 27, signed a five-year, $35 million contract that included $24 million guaranteed with the Ravens back in 2012.