National Football League

Rice files wrongful termination grievance against Ravens

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 5:43 p.m. ET

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After more than a month out of the headlines, the Ray Rice saga has picked up plenty of steam in recent days, with Tuesday being the busiest — and perhaps most significant — day yet.

Just hours after The Associated Press reported Rice's appeal of his indefinite suspension would be held in early November, FOX Sports' Mike Garafolo confirmed that Rice has filed a grievance against the Baltimore Ravens for terminating his contract.

According to Pro Football Talk, which originally reported the grievance, Rice's grievance centers on the collective bargaining agreement, which allows a player to be punished once for an infraction. Rice's grievance argues his suspension and contract termination last month were in effect a second suspension for the same offense. ESPN later reported the grievance was filed weeks ago.

That is the same argument the players union is using as the basis of its appeal.

Rice was suspended indefinitely Sept. 8 for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy after a video of Rice hitting his then-fiancée in an elevator was released publicly. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell originally had suspended Rice for two games in July, a decision which was widely criticized — criticism which ultimately led Goodell to create a new domestic violence policy in August.

Once the video became public, the Baltimore Ravens cut the star running back, and the league banned him indefinitely. The league considered the video to be new evidence, giving Goodell the authority to further suspend Rice.

— The Associated press contributed to this report