

The Facts: Rice remains suspended indefinitely following the publication of the video of him striking his now-wife, Janay, in a casino elevator, but he could be reinstated within the next four weeks, sources said.
Diehards Line:
As CBSSports insider Jason La Canfora notes, an appeal hearing date has been set, with a final decision expected to come in an expeditious manner thereafter, and all of that could be resolved by mid-November, which would conceivably allow Rice to sign with another team this season. Numerous legal experts La Canfora has spoken to believe Rice has an exceedingly strong case, and, considering it could be Week 10 or so before this hearing is resolved, it's hard for them to conceive that Rice isn't reinstated as part of the decision. If he is, would a team like the Colts, coached by former Ravens assistant Chuck Pagano who thinks highly of Rice, or New England, where Bill Belichick has very strong ties to Rice's college coach, Greg Schiano, take a chance on Rice if they need a running back down the stretch? Seems like a reach. But we'll be watching for more.