Ray Rice acknowledges his NFL playing days are likely over

Ray Rice has not appeared in an NFL game since he was with the Baltimore Ravens in 2013, but he has remained optimistic that another team could give him a shot. That is, until now.

In an interview with James Kratch of NJ Advance Media on Thursday, Rice said he has continued to train and stay in shape. However, he clearly isn’t waiting by the phone for an NFL team to call.

“I’m training, but I’m more training for life,” Rice said. “I think it’s safe to say that football … I don’t want to ever say I’m giving up, because that’s never going to be me … I’m happy. I’m in the best shape of my life, and I know if it doesn’t happen this year, it’s probably something I have to deal with. But you know what? It’s not the end of my life.”

Rice added that football will always be part of his life, but he knows the odds of a 29-year-old running back with his off-field history making a comeback are not good.

“I know that the window for playing is closing,” he said. “But if my window closes, I’m going to make sure I open up a thousand more opportunities for kids, to give them an opportunity to pick up where I left off. That’s where I’m at. I’ve got three Pro Bowls and a Super Bowl. There’s a lot of people that can’t go out there and do what I did. But I don’t want it to end that way, it’s safe to say.”

Though teams have reportedly discussed the possibility of signing Rice, he has never been close to returning. He’s a perfect example of how one mistake can destroy a career.