Rice knows that his time in the NFL might be more limited than others due to his position and his scandal. This is why he is making the push to land with a team this offseason rather than wait. Rice recently stated
"I have a lot of hope and faith that I'll be able to hang 'em up the right way, that's what's keeping me going. That's what's keeping me working. My wife and my kid believe in me. They're pushing me harder sometimes than I can push myself. I just want to give it all. I always preach one or two bad decisions your dream could become a nightmare. Well, I had to eat my own words. I truly lived the nightmare, and there's (nothing) set in stone whether you're going to get a second chance or not, but like I said my hope and faith and everything else that I'm doing in my life I'm just really hopeful for a second chance."
Now one must see the desperation in Rice and how society is giving him what he deserves. But we often forget who else this exile is hurting, his wife, his kid, he cannot provide for them the best way he can and that is the thing that is likely hurting the most. Rice has had anti violence groups support a second chance for the troubled running back however society does not seem to be ready or to really care if Rice gets another shot or not. The Ravens staff has even supported Rice at different moments in this scandal but no team wants to bring him in for fear of the public backlash. Rice contemplated suicide soon after his scandal. Rice stated
"You kind of replay that in your mind when you see the video," he said. "And I know what it felt like to not want to live anymore, but I realized I couldn't check out on my family. I couldn't check out on my 3-year-old daughter. I know what it felt like to grow up without a father, so how could I turn my back on my family at this moment?"
Rice may be dead to the NFL, but his family is certainly alive. Any team that signs Rice may have to deal with a backlash but they would also be helping him secure a future for his wife and daughter; whether or not there is a team out there willing to do that remains to be seen.
