The Facts: Following up on the ongoing story. ... It’s been a good week for Rice. On Monday, he received clearance to return to football activities from Dr. James Andrews. On Wednesday, he agreed to terms to return to the team that cut him earlier this year, the Seahawks. Per a league source, it’s a one-year deal. We’re told the deal pays more than the veteran minimum, but the specific amount isn’t currently known.
Diehards Line:While the new value isn't clear, it's safe to assume that Rice will make much less than the $8.5 million he was scheduled to make before being released. The Seahawks had remained interested in bringing back Rice. As PFT's Mike Florio suggests, news of a visit to the Jets may have been the nudge that the Seahawks needed to close the deal. The Giants, Saints, and Panthers all had some interest in Rice. He appeared in 33 games during three seasons with the Seahawks, with 748 receiving yards in 2012. And again, health is the biggest question mark. As NFL.com noted Wednesday, Rice has battled knee issues for several years -- he traveled to Switzerland to undergo platelet-rich plasma therapy in August before suffering a torn ACL in October. He's missed large portions of two of the last three seasons after signing a five-year, $41 million contract with Seattle in 2011. Still, Rice has proven to be a nice fit in Darrell Bevell's offense. As long as he's on the field, Rice will be a dangerous option working alongside Percy Harvin (assuming he too can remain on the field).