Ray Rice expected to appeal NFL suspension: reports

[September 15, 2014]  (Reuters) - Ray Rice is expected to appeal his indefinite suspension from the National Football League that followed last week's release of a video showing him punching his then-fiancee during an argument earlier this year, ESPN reported on Sunday, citing sources.

The sports network said Rice must file his appeal by 11:59 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, but that the NFL Players Association still had not finalized plans on what basis to use for the appeal. ESPN said ProFootballTalk.com had earlier reported Rice's plan to appeal the suspension.

The 27-year-old running back was released by the Baltimore Ravens last Monday after the video was published on the TMZ website.

Rice had previously been suspended for two games by the NFL after an earlier video of the same incident showed him dragging an unconscious Janay Palmer, who is now his wife, from an Atlantic City casino elevator. The league's initial penalty was widely criticized as too lenient.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has said the league had not seen the tape of Rice punching Palmer until it was released by TMZ. But the Associated Press reported that a law enforcement official said he had the tape delivered to league officials in April.

ESPN football analyst Adam Schefter reported on Sunday that Rice and the Players Association had three business days to file an appeal after receiving the league's suspension letter last Thursday.

"They are expected to make that appeal but they're waiting to see how they will do it, where they will file it, the process by which it will take place," Schefter said on the network.

He added that Rice was "looking to be reinstated as soon as possible and to get some clarity as to when that may be able to happen."

(Reporting by Peter Cooney in Washington; Editing by Eric Walsh)

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