Ray Rice Wins Appeal, Reinstated Immediately

Ray Rice won the appeal of his indefinite suspension, stemming from his much publicized domestic violence case, and is eligible to play for any team effective immediately. Judge Barbara S. Jones ruled Rice did not lie to Commissioner Roger Goodell about what happened in that casino elevator; therefore, Goodell did not have grounds to extend Rice’s suspension from two games to indefinite.

A separate hearing will be held to determine if Rice can recoup any pay from his suspension, which ended up lasting 12 weeks.

“We respect Judge Jones’s decision to reinstate Ray Rice from his indefinite suspension for violating the league’s Personal Conduct Policy in an incident of domestic violence,” the NFL said in a statement. “Ray Rice is a free agent and has been eligible to be signed by an NFL team since he was released by the Ravens. Based on Judge Jones’ decision, he will be eligible to play upon signing a new contract.”

It seems unlikely any team will sign Rice this season. There is still so much negativity surrounding his case; any team that signs him is sure to be met by significant backlash from a large sector of fans. If a match were to be made this season, it would have to be with a playoff-contending team with a strong leadership structure in place.

The Colts are one potential landing spot. Indianapolis put in a waiver claim for Ben Tate a couple weeks back, only to lose out the Vikings. Also, Rice is familiar with Chuck Pagano from their time together in Baltimore. The Cardinals were the other team to put in an unsuccessful claim for Tate, although Arizona has since signed veteran Michael Bush to bolster its depth in the backfield.

The Patriots are a possibility, given Bill Belichick’s ability to get the most out of players with tarnished pasts. The Broncos could also be in mix depending on how they feel about the odds of Montee Ball and Ronnie Hillman getting back in time to contribute late in the season and during the playoffs.

More than likely, Rice will have to wait till next season. He is a not a game-changing force like Adrian Peterson, nor does he play a premium position like Greg Hardy. So even though his suspension has ended first, his return to the league may be more in line with theirs.

Lance Briggs Goes on IR; Bears Career Over?

The Bears placed 12-year veteran Lance Briggs on injured-reserve on Friday due to a groin injury suffered against the Buccaneers on Nov. 23. Briggs is in the final year of a three-year extension he signed in 2012. He is not sure if he will return to the NFL next season, but he is resigned to the fact his time in Chicago is likely done.

Briggs also missed three games earlier this season with a rib injury (and has played in just 17 games over the last two years combined), but for the majority of his career he was known for his durability. He missed just four games between 2003 and 2012. In 173 career games, he posted 1,174 total tackles, 15 sacks, 78 pass break-ups, 16 interceptions, 19 forced fumbles and five touchdowns.

He was named to the Pro Bowl seven times and dubbed All-Pro three times.

“I understand this is probably my last year as a Chicago Bear,” he said on Nov. 5. “It’s the last year of my deal. It’s not like I’m going to magically show up after this year and they’re going to open the gates up for you. Those gates close when you’re a free agent.”

Whenever Briggs walks away for good, the discussion of his Hall of Fame candidacy will begin. Although he played in the shadow of Brian Urlacher for much of his career, he was one of the NFL’s elite linebackers for a decade.

With Briggs and Charles Tillman done in Chicago, the last strong ties to the Lovie Smith era are now gone. Ironically, Briggs’ likely final game in a Bears uniform came with Smith on the opposing sideline.

If the Playoffs Started Today … 

I’ve never been a fan of playing the “if the playoffs started today” game, especially before the calendar flips to December, because the standings will change so much over the next five weeks. But, looking at the potential brackets as they stand now, this year’s tournament has the potential to be the most redundant ever.

Consider that, if the playoffs started today …

• In the AFC, the first round would feature the Chargers at the Bengals and the Chiefs at the Colts. If those match-ups sound familiar, they should, because those were the exact pairings from last year’s playoffs. The Patriots and Broncos would enjoy first-round byes, just as they did in 2013.
• In the NFC, the Eagles and Packers would win their respective divisions yet again. The NFC South would have a new champion (the Falcons), but that is really in keeping with the status quo, as the NFC South has a new champion every season. No team has ever won that division two years in a row.
• In the ultimate act of déjà vu, the Cowboys would miss the playoffs by a single game thanks to key late-season divisional loss.

Of course, the standings will not hold exactly as they are. The shake-up will start this week as the Chiefs host the Broncos, the Ravens host the Chargers, the Falcons host the Cardinals (who would be the top seed in the NFC) and the Packers host the Patriots.