Report: Ray Rice not an option for Cardinals' banged-up backfield

The Arizona Cardinals took a major hit at running back when Chris Johnson suffered a fractured tibia in Sunday's game at the San Francisco 49ers.

With backup running back Andre Ellington suffering a turf toe injury in the same game and rookie David Johnson in line to take over as starter, a natural question is whether the NFC West-leading Cardinals should seek outside help to bolster the position.

One obvious candidate would be former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice. However, a story in AZCentral.com squelched that notion, citing an NFL source who said the possibility of the Cardinals signing Rice was a firm "no."

Rice, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, has not played since the end of the 2013 season. His contract was terminated by the Ravens in September 2014 after a video surfaced of him punching his then-fiancee and dragging her out of an elevator in Atlantic City, N.J. 

Arizona made a pair of moves to reinforce that Rice was not an option, promoting Kerwynn Williams from the practice squad to the active roster on Tuesday and signing running back Abou Toure to the practice squad on Wednesday.

Chris Johnson was placed on the injured reserve/designated to return list Tuesday and must sit out a minimum of eight weeks. The only chance the league's fourth-leading rusher has of playing again this season is if the Cardinals advance to the Super Bowl.