Suspended RB Ray Rice likely to be reinstated by 2015

Sep 11, 2014; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens fan watches warm up in his Ray Rice jersey prior to the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 11, 2014; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens fan watches warm up in his Ray Rice jersey prior to the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports /
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Roger Goodell and the NFL would love to make Ray Rice go away forever, but that won’t happen if Rice’s lawyers and the NFLPA have anything to say about it.

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Jason La Canfora reports Sunday morning that Rice is expected to lawyer up heavily and battle the indefinite suspension that was slapped on him by the NFL after video surfaced of his assault on then-fiance Janay Palmer.

Rice’s lawyers are expected to argue that the NFL can’t punish Rice twice for the same offense, and therefore should reinstate the running back from his suspension.

The NFL is trying to make the case that Rice’s second suspension stemmed not from his original offense but from lying to the league when characterizing the nature of his incident with Janay Palmer.

But lawyers will say, per La Canfora, that the NFL knew about the contents of the video tape, or at least should have known, and therefore can’t argue that they were lied to.

The NFLPA is expected to jump into the fray on this as early as this week and fight the suspension on the grounds that it represents a double-punishment for the same offense.

The union believes it would set a bad precedent if they allowed a player to be hit twice for the same incident, says La Canfora.

After talking to multiple sources including people in the league, La Canfora believes that Rice will ultimately be reinstated, possibly at the start of the 2015 league year.

Sources have told La Canfora that like Michael Vick, Ray Rice will get a second chance in the NFL.

No, Roger Goodell can’t make this bad dream just stop.