Kansas City Chiefs Player Justyn Ross Placed on NFL Exempt List Following Arrest
The wide receiver was arrested on Monday under suspicion of causing criminal damage
Following Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Justyn Ross's arrest on Monday over suspicion of causing criminal damage, he has been placed on the NFL's exempt list. Despite pleading not guilty, he will not be able to play in Sunday's game against the Denver Broncos.
Earlier this week, Ross' teammate and quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, and their coach spoke out about the arrest, with Andy Reid "addressing" what happened while speaking to reporters.
During a weekly media conference on Wednesday, the head coach commented on Ross' arrest. "We’re taking in all the information, and have been. We’ll continue to do that. He’s back here. He’ll work today and we’ll just take it from there. Other than that I don’t really have any information for you other than what we’ve gathered,” Reid said, according to KCTV5.
The outlet also reported that Mahomes was asked about the wide receiver by reporters. “We love Justyn. I don’t know too many of the details as far as that goes. In this locker room it’s a brotherhood so we just try to pick up each other as much as possible,” Mahomes said.
While Reid said that Ross practiced at the Chiefs facility Wednesday morning, per KCTV5, multiple outlets have confirmed that the player has been placed on the exempt list as of Friday afternoon. "It means he’ll be paid pending the outcome of the criminal case, and the conclusion of any ensuing investigation and suspension by the league," NBC Sports reported.
On Monday, just before 3 p.m., Ross was taken into custody in Shawnee, Kansas, according to the Johnson County Sheriff’s booking and release report and a Kansas standard offense report and the Shawnee Police Department's offense report obtained by PEOPLE.
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The Johnson County Kansas District Court Public Records show that Ross was charged with two misdemeanors — domestic battery with no priors and criminal damage to property totaling less than $1,000.
Following his release, Ross appeared in court via Zoom on Tuesday, where he pleaded not guilty, according to KSHB41. The outlet reported that "a judge set a $2,500 personal recognizance bond for Ross. [He] later bonded out of the Johnson County Adult Detention Center after his appearance."
Additionally, "the judge also granted Ross’ ex-girlfriend’s request to have no contact with Ross and gave her two hours after the hearing to gather her things from his home," per KSHB41.
PEOPLE have reached out to Ross' management as well as the Kansas City Chiefs for comment. While the team did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request, they did tell the Associated Press on Monday that they were aware of the arrest.
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Ross joined the Chiefs last season as an undrafted free agent out of Clemson University. In his freshman year in 2018, he helped the Clemson Tigers win the college football national championship by catching 46 passes for 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns, per the AP.
However, he didn’t play his junior year because of a congenital fusion condition in his neck and spinal area that required career-threatening surgery. He returned to the sport during his senior year in 2021, catching 47 passes for 524 yards and three touchdowns for Clemson. Despite this, a few teams were willing to clear him to play professionally, according to the outlet.
In May, he was drafted by the Chiefs but ended up being unable to play the entire 2022 season due to a foot injury he acquired during the off season, which he needed surgery to fix, according to the Kansas City Star.
He eventually recovered and was able to play in all seven games during the Chief’s current season. So far, he has caught three catches for 34 yards, per the NFL's website.
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