NFL players can sometimes find themselves in hot water. Despite their status as professional athletes, they are not immune to the law and can/will be arrested if they’re found doing something illegal. Unfortunately, it is very common to see NFL players be arrested. Here are 20 popular NFL players who have been arrested before that you may or may not know about:
20 – Charles Woodson
The Raiders legend was arrested in 2000 for driving under the influence and driving with a suspended license. His Blood-Alcohol level was recorded at a .24, nearly 3x the legal limit. He pleaded guilty to driving while impaired and served 60 hours of community service.
19 – Steve Smith Sr.
Smith was drafted in 2001 by the Panthers and arrested in 2002 after striking teammate Anthony Bright in a film meeting in Charlotte. Bright had to go to the hospital due to the strike and needed facial surgery. He was given anger management and a one game suspension by the Panthers.
18 – Sebastian Janikowski
The legendary Raiders and Seahawks Kicker has been arrested 7 times since his college days. Ranging from battery to DUI to attempting to bribe a police officer. He hasn’t had any legal troubles since 2011, though.
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17 – Michael Pittman
Former Buccaneers RB and father of Indianapolis Colts WR Michael Pittman Jr., Pittman was arrested twice in separate incidents of domestic violence against his wife. The 2nd incident, he pleaded guilty to felony endangerment and served 14 days in jail.
16 – Michael Vick
One of the most known NFL arrests, Vick was arrested and charged with running a dog fighting enterprise. He pleaded guilty, served nearly two years in jail and was suspended from the NFL until 2009. He ended up returning to the league and playing for a few teams, most notably the Eagles.
15 – James Harrison
The legendary Steelers LB was charged with domestic violence after hitting his girlfriend during an argument about whether to baptize his son. His charges were dropped after he attended anger counseling.
14 – Julian Edelman
One of Tom Brady’s favorite target from his days in New England, Edelman was arrested for assault after he was accused of inappropriately touching a woman at a nightclub on Halloween. The charges were eventually dropped.
13 – Dez Bryant
Dez Bryant caught a domestic violence case when he was arrested for hitting his mother in Texas, he ended up taking anger management counseling to help correct his issue and the charged were dropped.
12 – Ray Rice
Another extremely public NFL arrest case, Rice was arrested for hitting his wife and subsequently knocking her out in an Atlantic City casino. He initially received a two-game suspension, but after an elevator video came out showing the incident, he was given an indefinite suspension and cut by the Baltimore Ravens.
11 – Adrian Peterson
Peterson was indicted on child abuse charges when he was accused of hitting his then 4-year-old son with a switch to punish him, he pleaded no contest to misdemeanor reckless assault and served 80 hours of community service and received a 4,000 dollar fine.
10– Le’Veon Bell/ LeGarrette Blount
Bell and Blount were pulled over and after police searching their vehicle, found around 20 oz. of Marijuana in Pennsylvania. Bell received 15 months of probation for the charge and had his license suspended for 60 days. Blount completed 50 hours of community service and had his charges dismissed.
9 – Adam (Pacman) Jones
Jones was an excellent CB for, mostly, the Cincinnati Bengals. In 2017 he was arrested for poking a hotel security employee in the eye and obstructing police. He spent two days in jail and was then released.
8 – Chosen (Robby) Anderson
Anderson was charged in 2018 when he was eluding police in Florida. He was also charged with reckless driving, resisting arrest, and threatening a police officer’s family. He pleaded no contest to reckless driving and received 6 months’ probation.
7 – Aaron Jones
Packers Star RB Aaron Jones received DUI and drug charges after he was pulled over for speeding in Wisconsin and accused of driving a vehicle after smoking marijuana. He pleaded no contest, was given fines worth over 1,000 dollars, and was suspended 2 games by the NFL.
6 – Aldon Smith
Smith has had many run ins with the law, his last one being a domestic violence charge after he fled the scene which the victim received non-life-threatening injuries. He pleaded no contest and spent 90 days in jail. The Raiders cut him two days later.
5 – Marlon Humphrey
The Ravens All-Pro CB was accused of taking a $15 phone charger from an uber he was in and refused to give the charger back. The case was later dismissed by a judge in Alabama.
4 – Patrick Chung
Chung was an integral part of the Patriots Super Bowl teams with Tom Brady. Chung was indicted for felony possession of cocaine in New Hampshire. He served 40 hours of community service and was subject to regular drug testing.
3 – Xavien Howard
Howard was another player accused of domestic violence after his fiancée said that he pushed her against a wall and had visible redness and scratches on her arms. The case was dropped after his fiancée declined to proceed with the case.
2 – Henry Ruggs III
The once promising Ruggs III is one of the most recent, high profile NFL arrests when he was arrested for speeding over 125 MPH and drunk driving which resulted in the death of a woman and her dog in Las Vegas. He pleaded guilty to DUI resulting in death and the Raiders released him the same day.
1 – Alvin Kamara
Kamara was charged with battery after he was involved in a bar fight at a Las Vegas nightclub when he and a group of people attacked and assaulted the victim. He pleaded no contest, served 30 hours of community service, and the NFL suspended him for the first 3 games of the 2023 NFL season.
