NFL Rumors

Ray Rice Admits His NFL Career Is Likely Over

July 15, 2016

Former NFL RB Ray Rice says that he’s still training, but admits that “the window for playing is closing.”

“I’m training, but I’m more training for life,” Rice said, via NJ.com. “I think it’s safe to say that football … I don’t want to ever say I’m giving up, because that’s never going to be me … I’m happy. I’m in the best shape of my life, and I know if it doesn’t happen this year, it’s probably something I have to deal with. But you know what? It’s not the end of my life.

“I know that the window for playing is closing. But if my window closes, I’m going to make sure I open up a thousand more opportunities for kids, to give them an opportunity to pick up where I left off. That’s where I’m at. I’ve got three Pro Bowls and a Super Bowl. There’s a lot of people that can’t go out there and do what I did. But I don’t want it to end that way, it’s safe to say.”

Rice added that he still wants to know why he hasn’t received a second chance in the league, while others have.

“Everyone wants to know why (he has not gotten a second chance), and I want to know the same [answer],” Rice said. “I feel like if it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen. It’s not going to be on my terms. It’s going to be by the grace of God and my faith, for an owner to just say, ‘This guy deserves a second chance.’

“I’m willing to do whatever it takes. I’m not naive of anything that happened in my life. I’m definitely going to continue to take full responsibility for it. We do know it was a national controversy. I’m not hiding from it. I owned everything.

“But I know for a fact I can make a team better, I can make a locker room better. And I know 100 percent that I can make a community better.”

Rice hasn’t found any interest from NFL teams since he was cut loose by the Ravens back in 2014. He has, however, made serious attempts to get involved and help people impacted by domestic violence, but it hasn’t lead to even preliminary interest from NFL teams.

At this point, it seems pretty clear that Rice’s football career is likely over.

Rice, 29, is a former second-round pick of the Ravens back in 2008. He lasted appeared in an NFL game during the 2013 season when he ran for 660 yards on 214 carries (3.1 YPC) to go along with 58 receptions for 321 yards receiving and four touchdowns.