Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh has made his first public comments following the arrest of running back Ray Rice.
Rice and his fiancée, Janay Palmer, were arrested last week after Atlantic City police said the pair got in a fight and hit each other at an Atlantic City casino. Both were charged with simple assault.
"The facts will determine the consequences, always," Harbaugh said Friday at the NFL Scouting Combine, according to the Ravens' official website. "That's always the case. It's a process."
Harbaugh was asked if there was a scenario in which the Ravens part ways with Rice, who has been a key cog in their offense since the 2008 season.
"Not that I'm aware of," he said. "I haven't seen anything that would remotely make me think that."
A court summons, obtained by WJZ-TV, said Palmer was knocked unconscious after Rice hit her. Harbaugh said he has spoken with Rice since the arrest.
"Ray and I are real close," he said. "We have been for a long time, so it's an easy conversation to have. I love Janay. She's a great person.
"The two people obviously have a couple issues that they have to work through, and they're both committed to doing that. That was the main takeaway for me from the conversation. They understand their own issues. They're getting a lot of counseling and those kinds of things, so I think that's really positive. That was the main takeaway."
Rice's legal problems come on the heels of the worst season of his six-year career. Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome said Monday that Rice was still a "big part" of the team's plans for 2014. Gary Kubiak, the team's new offensive coordinator, shared a similar sentiment prior to Rice's arrest.
On the latest edition of the "Around The League Podcast," the guys speculate on big names who could be cut, then talk offseason forecasts for the Packers and Raiders.
