In an unsurprising decision, Ravens running back Ray Rice has elected not to challenge his two-game suspension and fine, allowing the three-day window to pass without an appeal, as Jamison Hensley details at ESPN.com. Given the reaction to Rice’s two-game ban, which was widely considered a light penalty by Roger Goodell and the NFL, it makes sense that the Ravens and the running back would accept the punishment without a fight.
Here’s more from around the NFL’s two North divisions:
- The Browns issued a statement today along with the reps for Jason Pinkston announcing that the offensive lineman has not been medically cleared for football activities, which helps to explain why he has been absent from training camp thus far (link via Ohio.com).
- Although contract extension talks for Ndamukong Suh have dragged on longer than expected, Lions head coach Jim Caldwell remains confident that the two sides will reach an agreement, according to Dave Birkett and Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press.
- Steelers GM Kevin Colbert said today that his club is open to the idea of extending its four starters whose contracts will expire after the 2014 season, tweets Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- The Steelers are only paying about $5.68MM this year to their top three cornerbacks, and the performances from those players could go a long way to determining what sort of season the team has, writes Alan Robinson of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
- With tight end guru Norv Turner now running the offense, the Vikings expect a big year for Kyle Rudolph, which is why the team decided to lock him up to a long-term extension now, as Ben Goessling of ESPN.com explains.