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The Minnesota Vikings released cornerback Jeff Gladney on Tuesday after being indicted by a Texas grand jury on felony assault on a woman he was previously a couple with.
“Following our review of today’s indictment against Jeff Gladney, we have decided to release Jeff immediately. As we have said before, we take these issues very seriously and condemn all forms of domestic violence. Due to the current legal nature of this matter, we are unable to provide further comment, ”the team said in a statement.
Gladney, 24, who was a first-round draft pick last year at TCU, started 15 games for the Vikings as a rookie. He had not been around the team since his arrest in April in Dallas.
He is charged with domestic violence for obstructing breathing, for “intentionally, knowingly and recklessly” causing bodily harm and applying pressure to the woman’s neck and throat, according to the indictment. The altercation arose out of an argument and unfolded over a period of more than two hours, according to a lawsuit recently filed against Gladney by the former girlfriend. She also alleged in the lawsuit that he tried to bribe and intimidate her into keeping her quiet.
No hearing date has yet been set. If found guilty, the cornerback could serve up to 10 years in prison.
Earlier on Tuesday, Vikings owner and president Mark Wilf called the allegations against Gladney “very disturbing and something that concerns us as the owner and for our organization.”
NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said the league office “will continue to review this serious and worrying matter as part of the personal conduct policy while monitoring all legal developments.”
Gladney is now an unrestricted free agent. If he were to be signed by another club, he could be placed on the commissioner’s exemption list while the case against him comes to an end. In 2014, the NFL toughened its personal conduct policy to include a basic six-game unpaid suspension for violations involving domestic violence and other related crimes.
ESPN’s Courtney Cronin and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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