Ravens running back Ray Rice will be suspended for two games under the NFL personal-conduct policy, the league announced Thursday afternoon.
Under terms of the suspension, Rice will lose three game checks, but could get the third game check back if he successfully completes his court-approved pre-trial intervention program.
Rice and his wife, Janay, reportedly met with Goodell on June 16. The three likely discussed their side of the events that took place in February, and Goodell likely considered that Rice is a first-time offender who has done a great deal of charity work in the Baltimore community, including anti-bullying campaigns.
A two-game suspension means Rice will miss key games against the Ravens' chief AFC North foes to begin the season. Baltimore opens with defending division champion Cincinnati on Sept. 7, then welcomes arch-rival Pittsburgh to M&T Bank Stadium in Week 2.
Baltimore will rely on backup Bernard Pierce, fourth-round rookie Lorenzo Taliaferro and veteran Justin Forsett during that stretch.
Rice was arrested on Feb. 15 after he and his then fiancée and now wife, Janay Rice, got into an altercation in an elevator at Revel Casino in Atlantic City, N.J.
Rice avoided standing trial because prosecutors approved him for a pre-trial intervention program designed for first-time offenders, which will allow him to clear his record of charges of the alleged assault if completed successfully.
The personal-conduct policy* *states that a player does not need to be found guilty of a crime in order to be punished. All NFL employees are required to avoid "conduct detrimental to the integrity" of the league.
"The standard of conduct for persons employed in the NFL is considerably higher," the policy reads.
