Ray Rice Fights Back Against Ravens For Wrongful Termination
BALTIMORE (WJZ)-- Ray Rice eyes a return to the NFL---and now the former Raven looks to cash in, as well. The running back filed a grievance against the Ravens for wrongful termination of his $3.5 million contract.
Rick Ritter breaks it down.
Rice is going after the salary he'd be owed this season if he served his original two-game suspension. Like the appeal against his indefinite suspension, Rice and his legal team are arguing the former Raven can't be punished twice for the same crime.
One day after making headlines for appealing his indefinite suspension, Ray Rice and his legal team made yet another splash in the NFL's biggest story this season. Now Rice has filed a grievance against the Ravens for wrongfully terminating the contract he signed with them in 2012.
"I do think he has a good, solid argument," said Kraig Long, Tydings & Rosenberg LLP.
Commissioner Roger Goodell first suspended Rice two games for punching his then-fiancee and now wife Janay Palmer inside an Atlantic City casino elevator.
But when video of the incident surfaced, it rocked the nation.
"It's heartbreaking," a fan said. "You'd think they'd make wiser decisions."
The Ravens then cut Rice and the league banned him indefinitely, claiming it was new evidence.
"It was clear there was an act of domestic violence but it was inconsistent with the way he described what happened," said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
Long says---like the appeal against his indefinite suspension---Rice's legal team is claiming the equivalent of double jeopardy.
"If you were punished the first time, that's the punishment. You live with that punishment. You can't come back and increase the punishment later," Long said.
The former Raven inked a $35 million contract just two years ago. He was paid millions in bonuses, along with a total of $3 million in base salaries.
If Rice wins either grievance, he's expected to be paid his non-guaranteed base salary that he was due this year if he had served only a two-game suspension without pay.
"He'd be entitled to the remaining salary that he would've earned for the rest of the year," Long said.
That salary is $3.5 million.
Long thinks each grievance goes hand in hand and both of Rice's cases are strong.
"I certainly think they'll both be affected by one another," he said.
"I just want it to be over with and I think the fans want it to be over with," a fan said.
WJZ tried reaching out to the Ravens. They acknowledged they were notified about Rice's latest grievance but declined to comment.
An appeal hearing for Rice's indefinite suspension has been set for November 5.
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