The NFL claims that despite their request to law enforcement for all evidence, the league office had not seen the video of Ray Rice knocking out his fiancée until TMZ released it Monday.
"We requested from law enforcement any and all information about the incident, including the video from inside the elevator,” said NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy Monday. “That video was not made available to us and no one in our office has seen it until today."
Meanwhile, ESPN reports that a spokesperson from the Revel Casino, where the incident took place, told ABC News that the casino had provided a copy of the video posted by TMZ to the police, but had not given it to TMZ.
The video (above) shows Rice and his then-fiancée, Janay Palmer, appearing to get into a dispute that ends with Rice knocking her unconscious and then calmly picking her up and dragging her out of the elevator.
A few hours after release of the video, the Baltimore Ravens announced that they had cut Rice from the team. They have not yet provided further comment.
Early in the day, many analysts did not think the NFL would alter their original ruling that suspended Rice for two days, citing double jeopardy precedents. ESPN analyst Roger Cossack argued that the NFL would lose any attempt at a revised ruling:
The NFL cannot increase Rice's punishment by claiming the league did not know the seriousness of what Rice did. First, who didn't know that Rice punched Palmer while in the elevator? Did anyone really think she fainted?
Second, the punishment has already been decided both in court and by the NFL and has been partially served by Rice.
If the NFL or the Ravens tried to increase the punishment by claiming they didn't know what he did, they would lose in court.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell apparently did not agree, following up the Ravens dismissal of Rice Monday by announcing via Twitter that Rice was suspended indefinitely. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the NFL has notified all teams that any contract with Rice would not be approved until NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell provides further instruction.
Thus far, no word from the NFL Players Association.
This article has been modified.