5 NFL players who were arrested and cut by their teams for DUIs

The NFL has an uncomfortable history with players breaking the law. Domestic assault, drug charges, and DUIs have been, by far, the most common offense committed by players within the league.

However, there have been some rather high-profile cases in which a player has been arrested for driving under the influence and then been cut by their respective team.

NFL franchises are finding it increasingly difficult to make decisions on players who have fallen foul of the law. Unfortunately, it usually comes down to how talented they are.

Obviously, there are cases where it is just so egregious that a player has virtually seen his NFL career end on the spot. Henry Ruggs springs to mind in this sense, although more on that later.

Teams don’t want their brand to be associated with a player who has committed one of the crimes that is thought of so poorly by the general public.

Whilst people can make mistakes, and rehabilitation is not impossible after a DUI, it can be very difficult if their actions end up having consequences for innocent bystanders or road users.

In this list, we'll look at 5 NFL players who were arrested for DUI and were then cut by their team.

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#1 – Henry Ruggs

Henry Ruggs III

Henry Ruggs was a receiver set to have a great NFL career with the Las Vegas Raiders, until he threw it all away with an act of carelessness, selfishness, and stupidity.

After hitting almost 150MPH in his vehicle while intoxicated, the receiver ended up directly causing the death of a young woman and her dog, who were both burned to death in their vehicle after a collision.

Young people make mistakes, and Ruggs after his rookie year was very much in that category. However, this was such a heinous incident that there is little to no chance of Ruggs ever appearing in the NFL again.

He is likely to serve jail time and was cut on the spot by the Raiders. The scale of his misbehavior became abundantly clear in the immediate aftermath of the crash.

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#2 – Donte Stallworth

Donte Stallworth

Donte Stallworth had everything going for him in 2008, having signed a seven-year contract with the Cleveland Browns worth around $35 million.

While his performances on the field weren’t quite justifying the money being paid to him, it was to be a DUI which ended his time with the Browns.

In 2009, Stallworth struck and killed a pedestrian in Florida, with the wide receiver driving around 50MPH in a 40MPH zone.

What was bizarre about the incident was how Stallworth said he flashed his headlights to warn Reyes he was oncoming, but didn’t bother stopping with the pedestrian still on the road.

Blood tests showed Stallworth was over the legal limit for alcohol intake when driving and was charged with DUI manslaughter.

He would eventually serve 24 days in jail with 1000 hours of community service. Though the Browns didn’t release him instantly, due to the fact he wasn’t being paid by the team during his time on the suspended list, as soon as he was eligible to return to the NFL, the Browns cut him.

#3 – Aldon Smith

Aldon Smith was also cut by his team after his run-ins with the law

Aldon Smith was a prodigiously talented pass rusher in the NFL, initially starring with the San Francisco 49ers.

Yet, people have their demons and Smith simply couldn’t shake his substance intake, with two DUIs being known by the 49ers before they released him after a third in 2015.

Smith was first arrested for driving under the influence in 2012. He also had an incident the same year involving marijuana possession.

Though being cut by the 49ers was a punishment for Smith, he couldn’t curb his behavior. He was arrested again in 2017 and charged with a DUI after he hit a police car.

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#4 – Michael Floyd

Michael Floyd

Michael Floyd is another player who couldn’t quite avoid driving under the influence. Apart from a 2011 DUI charge on his record, he was also caught for underage drinking in 2010.

The receiver would go on to spend time with the New England Patriots and Arizona Cardinals early in his early NFL career. However, the Cardinals would cut him after an explosive DUI arrest that was caught on camera.

After being arrested by police for falling asleep behind the wheel of a vehicle, Floyd was released by Arizona. He was charged with two counts of DUI.

The video showed officers having to physically wake Floyd up by knocking on the window, and the car was still running.

Though he didn’t physically resist arrest, the police had to manhandle Floyd in order for him to be physically able to cooperate with their procedures.

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#5 – Travis Jonsen

Travis Jonsen

It wasn’t long after taking over as head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that Todd Bowles had to deal with his first disciplinary issue.

Wide receiver Travis Jonsen was arrested for driving under the influence in May. After just one day, it was made clear to him that he was no longer welcome at the Tampa facility.

The Bucs immediately cut the player after hearing about his arrest. Although it was once again a case of a mid-level player being punished more severely than a star contributor would have been.

Jonsen will be subject to an NFL suspension as per the league's regulations. Although, given the fact that he wasn’t a huge performer in Tampa, it’s difficult to see him ever playing in the league again. Tom Brady will head into 2022 with one fewer receiving option.