He started the season with Oakland, but demanded a trade due to the team's precipitous decline and his own diminishing role. After a week 6 blowout in Denver, the Raiders sent him to the Seahawks for a conditional 7th-round draft pick.
The trade reunited Rice with his former offensive coordinator in San Francisco. Coach Holmgren hoped that the sure handed 42-year-old could help cure the severe case of butterfingers then afflicting Seattle's receiving corps.
Steve Largent gave Rice permission to wear his retired #80.
Holmgren plugged him into the starting lineup immediately. Rice started 9 of the next 11 regular season games.
Rice flashed his old form a couple of times. His first touchdown as a Seahawk came in Week 11 win over Miami on a 56-yard pass from Trent Dilfer. In a losing effort against Dallas in December, Matt Hasselbeck connected 8 times with Rice for 145 yards and a touchdown.
Unfortunately, those were exceptions to the general rule of meager production. Rice still had great hands, but he had lost his speed and often struggled to get open.
Despite starting, Rice caught no balls in the last two regular season games against Arizona & Atlanta. Seattle won those contests anyway, eking out a winning record (9-7) and earning the right to host the 8-8 Rams in a Wild Card game.
In that playoff contest--the last game of Rice's NFL career--St. Louis held him to zero catches and edged Seattle, 27-26 in one of the most painful losses in franchise history.
Instead of accepting that ignominious end, Rice tried out for Denver the following fall. Ultimately, he decided to salvage his reputation by retiring rather than get cut or accept a slot at the bottom of the Broncos depth chart.
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