Ravens release Rice after video surfaces

Sep 8, 2014 - 7:15 PM Owings Mills, MD (SportsNetwork.com) - The Baltimore Ravens have terminated the contract of running back Ray Rice following the release of video footage that showed him punching his now-wife in an Atlantic City casino elevator during the offseason.

In addition, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced that Rice's previous two-game suspension will now run indefinitely due to the new information that has been made available.

TMZ.com released video of the actual incident on Monday that showed Rice throwing a left-handed punch at then-fiancee Jenay Palmer and knocking her out cold at the Revel Casino back in February.

Surveillance video originally released by the celebrity gossip website only revealed the aftermath of the incident, with Rice dragging Palmer out of the elevator.

The new video shows Rice and Palmer entering the elevator at the now-closed casino. The two are standing next to each other before a minor shove. Rice then moves away and Palmer rushes toward him before he reacts with a quick left-handed blow.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said in a statement Monday that the league did not have prior access to this video.

"We requested from law enforcement any and all information about the incident, including the video from inside the elevator," Aiello said. "That video was not made available to us and no one in our office has seen it until today."

Though Rice avoided prosecution after he was arrested in February and charged with simple assault-domestic violence, the NFL handed out its two-game penalty for a violation of the league's personal conduct policy.

The length of the suspension drew public backlash and prompted the league to amend its policy on domestic violence. First-time offenders are now suspended six games with a lifetime ban after a second such offense.

Rice offered an apology in May and did so again in July at the start of the Ravens' training camp, calling his actions that night "totally inexcusable."

In May, Rice was accepted into a pretrial intervention program that allowed him to avert prosecution and avoid serving any time in jail. The charges against him will be expunged from his record upon successful completion of the one-year program.

Rice played in 15 games last season and tallied 660 yards with four touchdowns on 214 carries while adding 321 yards receiving. Over his career, the three- time Pro Bowl selection has rushed for 6,180 yards and 37 touchdowns and caught 369 passes for 3,034 yards and six scores.

With Rice out of the fold, the Ravens will now rely on Bernard Pierce, Justin Forsett and rookie Lorenzo Taliaferro to handle the running back workload.

Pierce was named the starter for Baltimore during Rice's two-game suspension, but finished with just six carries for 14 yards in Sunday's loss against Cincinnati. He was benched in the second quarter following a fumble, however, and did not return.

Forsett, meanwhile, had 70 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries.