Ray Rice, Running Back
Heading into 2014, all signs pointed to Ray Rice enjoying a bounce-back season with the Baltimore Ravens. After playing below his usual standards in 2013 (because of nagging injuries) he looked healthy and primed to pick up where he left off. In his four seasons with the Ravens between 2009 and 2012, Rice averaged almost 2,000 total yards per season, and was one of the NFL’s elite running backs. His stellar performance on the field earned him a trip to the Pro Bowl in both 2012 and 2013. But right before the 2014 season began, video evidence of Ray Rice’s assault on his then fiancée (now wife), led to Rice first being suspended for two games, but then eventually having his contract terminated by the Ravens amidst the public outcry due to the brutal nature of the video. The footage showed Rice and Palmer getting into a verbal — and then physical — altercation, which ended with Rice punching Palmer and knocking her out cold, and then dragging her unconscious body out of the elevator. Even though Rice was reinstated by the NFL, no team has been willing to give him a second chance.