Ravens Owner Says He'd Rehire Ray Rice 'Down the Line'

The owner of the Baltimore Ravens owner said today that he could see rehiring Ray Rice "down the line," but not as a player.

Steve Bisciotti said that he did not find it unreasonable to offer the former running back a job with a significant pay cut even after cutting him from the team due to a domestic violence altercation.

Rice, the team's star running back, was cut from the team and suspended indefinitely from the NFL earlier this month after surveillance video emerged showing Rice punching his then-fiancee in the head, knocking her out. Before the video had been made public, Rice was disciplined with a two-game suspension, a punishment that many felt was too light.

Goodell Says He 'Got It Wrong' Regarding Ray Rice Incident

Minnesota Vikings Reverse Course, Suspend Adrian Peterson

Bisciotti said today that he would consider hiring Rice "five years down the line" to help the team's player development department to counsel the team's young players. The owner cited other "redeemed" football players who came back from scandalous behavior and are now respected sports commentators.

He went on to say that he expects good things from both Rice and his wife Janay.

"I think they're going to be two very successful members of our community in the years to come," Bisciotti said.

Rice, who was indicted by a grand jury, entered a pretrial diversionary program, avoiding jail time. He has apologized for the Feb. 15 incident.

Bisciotti called the news conference to rebut a report from ESPN that claimed that the Ravens were aware of the severity of Rice's attack on the woman in the Atlantic City casino elevator.

The team owner denied ESPN's claims of a cover-up and said, "What are we guilty of? I guess it is that one thing that if we had pressed for the tape we would've gotten it to the league. If I had pressed the league to get the tape the league would've gotten it, that's what I believe."

He also said, "Nobody's losing a job here, I'm very confident of that," referring to the Ravens' organization.

ESPN said today, "We stand by our reporting."

ESPN and ABC News are owned by the Disney Corp.