Former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice appeared at the team's training camp on Thursday.
Former RB Ray Rice is at Ravens training camp and was swarmed up young fans pic.twitter.com/CZaSMuSTna
— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) August 10, 2023
— JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) August 10, 2023
Though Rice was a dominant back during his six years in the NFL (all with the Ravens), his career came to an abrupt end during the 2014 offseason when video of a physical altercation with his fiancée at an Atlantic City casino surfaced. The league originally suspended the three-time Pro Bowler for two games, but when TMZ released another video of the incident (one which showed Rice punching his fiancée in the face), the team released the Rutgers product and the NFL suspended him indefinitely.
Even though Rice appealed the decision and won the case to be reinstated into the league in late 2014, he never played pro football again.
On one hand, the 36-year-old's experience as not only the second-leading rusher in franchise history (6,180 yards) but also a Super Bowl champion could prove valuable to some of the younger players. However, until fans hear an explanation for why exactly Rice was in attendance for Thursday's practice, it's a bad look for the organization.
According to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, former Pro Bowl running back Marshawn Lynch was also at camp on Thursday, and he and Rice were "catching up."
For all the good Rice did on the field for Baltimore for more than half a decade, he's still mostly remembered for the horrific 2014 video. It's been close to 10 years since he stepped onto a football field and unfortunately for many, his appearance on Thursday will only bring back bad memories.
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