Ray Rice's On-Field Form Playing Key Role in Keeping RB off the Field

Football teams make football decisions.

With former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice still on the free-agent market, it's important to keep things in perspective. Though his appeal is won and over, and he is reinstated to the NFL and could be signed to any team immediately, the fact that every club has heretofore declined do so may have almost nothing to do with the off-the-field issues that have made Rice's life a mainstream media event over the past few months.

For anyone who somehow hasn't heard about it, let's review life in the Rice house during the first three quarters of the 2014 NFL season.
Back in February, TMZ.com released video of Rice dragging his then-fiancee/now-wife Janay (Palmer) Rice out of an elevator in an Atlantic City, New Jersey, casino. At the time, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell inexplicably only suspended Rice for two games—a fact that would later come back to bite Goodell in his proverbial backside.

When tape was later released from inside the elevator, Goodell attempted to suspend Rice indefinitely. But there's no conceivable way he could do that under the collective bargaining agreement, and a judge recently lifted the suspension.

That brings us to our current state of affairs.

Recently, Jemele Hill of ESPN.com interviewed Janay Rice, and both Janay and her husband appeared on the Today show to speak to the public for the first time about the abuse. Responses to the interviews have run the gamut of potential emotions as the public at large continues to struggle with things I outlined would happen months ago in a column on this very site:Many in the public will never feel comfortable with Rice in an NFL jersey again, and that is their right to feel that way (I don't necessarily disagree). As I mentioned in that column linked above, there will be those who feel the same way—and always will—about men like Ray Lewis, Leonard Little, Terrell Suggs, Michael Vick and so many others.

Understand, though, that Rice's off-the-field sins and repentance may have only little to do with the fact that he's still struggling to find work.

Tuesday, Pro Football Talk reported that five running backs not named Ray Rice worked out for four different teams. Again, none of those backs were named Ray Rice. Though teams have privately indicated interest (as seen in the tweet below), none are as of yet willing to...you know...actually pay him to play football. 

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2288335-france-should-grant-legend-thierry-henry-a-farewell-appearance