The amount of the settlement former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice will be compensated after settling his wrongful termination grievance against the team has been divulged.
Rice will collect $1.588 million of the $3.529 million base salary for the 2014 season. The team and Rice agreed to the deal before the argument went before NFL system arbitrator Shyam Das.
Rice had already received $26.588 million of the $35 million contract he signed in July 2012 when the Ravens terminated his contract in September of 2014. That contract included a $15 million signing bonus, the highest ever for a running back.
Rice’s contract termination followed the release of a graphic video depicting Rice’s physical abuse of his girlfriend, Janay Palmer, whom he later married. Rice filed his grievance in October. After the Ravens reached the settlement, the team stated: “The Ravens agreed to resolve the grievance with Ray Rice. It’s time to turn the page, and we’re moving forward. … We wish Janay and Ray Rice the best.”
Some sources told the Baltimore Sun said the two sides did not want a protracted battle. They had already warred over Rice’s indefinite suspension in November by former federal judge Barbara S. Jones. Another source said the NFL wanted a quicker solution to prevent the establishment of a precedent using the collective-bargaining agreement that would inhibit teams’ blanket rights to cut players.
Since October, when the grievance was filed, the Ravens have kept $1.4 million against the salary cap. They are currently $4.6 million under the NFL salary cap limit of $143.28 million.