Arrests, Suspensions & Restrictions – Trouble Galore for NFL Players Outside the Football Pitch in 2023

The NFL is no stranger to controversies, both on the field and off the field. There have been league-wide controversies such as Deflategate, Bountygate, and debates surrounding concussion injuries. Less savory situations have followed players off the field as well. The NFL is a strict league, keeping a tight leash on the activities of its players off the field. It has zero tolerance for incidents that affect the integrity of the game. But some manage to test the league’s patience.

The latest player to fall within the crosshairs of the league is Kansas City Chiefs WR Justyn Ross. Ross recorded 34 receiving yards for three catches in the short time he played with the Chiefs since recovering from injury last season. Seems like after this incident, his run with the Chiefs is going to be short.

Justyn Ross placed under restriction within 1 year of action

The 23-year-old spent his first year with the Chiefs on the injured season recovering from a cervical fusion surgery. And now that’s he back, seems he’ll be spending his time on the sidelines again. Police arrested Ross on a felony charge, according to Johnson Country Sheriff’s Office arrest records.

According to the report by Fox News, the victim was stated as someone Ross “is or has been in a dating relationship” with. While there was no physical assault or verbal abuse against the victim, there was damage to property including a laptop, phone, computer monitor, jewelry, and a car key.

While the NFL placed Justyn Ross placed on its exemption list for no actual damage to a human being, other cases were not so benign. Domestic violence, gambling cases, and even an alleged forced admission to a hospital are some cases that the NFL has dealt with in the past.

NFL is following a proactive approach in tackling controversies

Georgia Bulldogs QB Stetson Bennett had helped the Bulldogs win their second consecutive championship. But when it comes to life outside the gridiron field, police arrested him in January after police found him intoxicated and banging on doors of strangers. The incident happened in a community of townhomes near downtown Dallas where residents had reported him to the police.

Miami Dolphins star WR, Tyreek Hill, had also been embroiled in off-court controversy. Police investigated Hill for assault and battery after an alleged incident at a Florida Marina in June 2023. Hill had struck another man as the result of a verbal argument. Earlier, he had also pleaded guilty to domestic violence and battery by strangulation of his then-pregnant girlfriend in 2014, as reported by NBC 6 South Florida.

In the most recent case, which incensed fans and resulted in an outpouring of concern, Las Vegas Raiders star Chandler Jones was “forcibly” admitted to a mental hospital. “They injected me with I don’t know what,” he said in a video recording. But the Raiders’ management hushed off the incident regarding Jones as “a personal situation and a private matter.”

Betting has also been a major problem that the NFL has had to repeatedly tackle. Rashod Berry Isaiah Rodgers (Indianapolis Colts) were suspended indefinitely – through at least the 2023 season – for betting on NFL games in 2022. The Colts eventually released the two bad apples. In addition, Tennessee Titans OT Nicholas Petit-Frere was suspended six games for betting on other sports at the workplace.

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Washington Commanders DE Shaka Toney Detroit Lions Safety CJ Moore and WR Quintez Cephus are sidelined for the entire 2023 season for illegal betting. The Lions immediately released Cephus, who caught 37 passes in three seasons, and Moore, who started one game in four years. Jacksonville Jaguars WR Calvin Ridley was suspended for the entire 2022 season for gambling on NFL games; he was later traded from Atlanta to Jacksonville and was reinstated.

It seems like an uphill task for the NFL, but again, the above instances reflect how the league is following a proactive approach to tackling controversies.

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