NFL employees’ troubling driving incidents mount, costing jobs and putting others at risk

Many years ago, earlier drunk-driving charges were euphemized arsenic driving portion intoxicated, Dan Marino liked to imbibe a little. But helium besides enjoyed getting astir South Florida due to the fact that helium was the backmost of the Miami Dolphins, not a hermit.

Marino understood his stature successful the assemblage and what an unacceptable pratfall a drinking and driving complaint would beryllium connected charges of his reputation. So helium bought a limousine. And helium hired a driver.

That driver, who happened to beryllium the begetter of aboriginal NFL large and existent Carolina Panthers wide manager Dan Morgan, would thrust Marino everywhere, making definite the prima quarterback, who liked a fewer drinks present and then, ne'er had immoderate issues connected the road.

Miami Dolphins backmost Dan Marino broke Fran Tarkenton's NFL vocation completion grounds with his 3,687th vocation completion connected his 4th completion of the game. Marino finished the time with 3,702 vocation completions during a crippled against the Indianapolis Colts astatine Joe Robbie Stadium successful Miami, Florida, connected Oct. 8, 1995. (CHRIS BERNACCHI/AFP via Getty Images)

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The NFL, its players and coaches could decidedly usage much of Dan Marino's reasoning present due to the fact that events successful the past mates of years suggest the league has thing of a driving problem.

Consider what has happened this period truthful far:

• July 22 – The Los Angeles Chargers merchandise defender Ben Cleveland aft helium is arrested the week earlier connected charges of speeding and driving with a constricted permit, according to constabulary reports obtained by the New York Post. That apprehension came astir one-and-a-half-years removed from Cleveland being arrested for DUI.
• July 23: Former Dallas Cowboys backmost and existent CBS NFL expert Tony Romo is arrested successful Wisconsin for OWI, which is Operating While Intoxicated, unsafe passing, unfastened intoxicants, and refusing a breathalyzer. He was booked and a proceeding is scheduled for Sept. 21.
• July 25: News of an mishap involving Kyle Shanahan leaks. The San Francisco 49ers manager connected July 14 suffered a breached hand, breached nose, breached ribs, a facial laceration and has been battling concussion symptoms aft a head-on collision with different car. Although neither operator was cited, Shanahan this week took work for the accident, saying helium dropped his telephone and mislaid power of his Tesla which deed an oncoming car.
• July 28: Defensive backs manager Gerald Alexander is suspended by the Minnesota Vikings, the squad announces, aft helium pleaded blameworthy to third-degree DWI. Alexander paid fines and fees, was assigned assemblage work and volition beryllium connected probation for 2 years. He is suspended until Aug. 13.

Rueben Bain Jr of the Miami (FL) Hurricanes speaks to the media during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine astatine Lucas Oil Stadium connected Feb. 25, 2026 successful Indianapolis, Indiana. (Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

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We are not adjacent to being done.

The Washington Commanders fired choky extremity manager Ben Steele connected the eve of grooming campy pursuing a DWI apprehension successful June.

"Certainly truly privation the champion for Ben and his family," Commanders wide manager Adam Peters said this week. "A batch of thought was enactment into that determination and, you know, it was unfortunate but hoping for the champion for him and his family."

Before the draft, OutKick reported that University of Miami antiaircraft lineman Rueben Bain Jr. got into an mishap successful October 2025 and was cited for reckless driving. That followed a March 2024 fatal mishap successful which Bain deed different car connected I-95 successful South Florida, mounting disconnected a concatenation absorption mishap that yet near 1 of his passengers non-responsive.

That rider yet died.

Bain was drafted successful the archetypal circular by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but the Top 10 imaginable dropped to the No. 15 wide slot.

In this surface drawback taken from dash camera video provided by Bill Nabors, 2 speeding sports cars, near and 2nd from left, origin a chain-reaction clang connected the North Central Expressway, successful Dallas, Saturday, March 30, 2024. Dallas constabulary said Wednesday, April 10, that Kansas City Chiefs' wide receiver Rashee Rice faces charges including aggravated battle aft helium and different speeding operator of a sports car caused a chain-reaction clang connected a Dallas highway. (Bill Nabors via AP)

Kansas City Chiefs receiver Rashee Rice served 30 days successful jailhouse from May to June due to the fact that helium tested affirmative for THC (marijuana) and the crushed we cognize this is due to the fact that those tests are portion of a probation statement stemming from his well-chronicled driving conviction.

Rice successful July 2025 pleaded blameworthy to third-degree felony charges (collision involving superior bodily injury, and racing connected a road causing bodily injury) pursuing a high-speed March 2024 clang successful Dallas.

Fox News Digital compiled records of 21 driving incidents involving NFL radical dating backmost to 2024 that talk to drinking and driving, reckless driving oregon simply atrocious decision-making down the instrumentality erstwhile viewed individually.

But erstwhile 1 understands NFL-connected radical – not including their families – are progressive successful much than 1 traffic-related mishap per period connected average, it could awesome a problem.

An NFL spokesperson could not beryllium reached for remark connected this substance but a league root told Fox News Digital this is an idiosyncratic and nine matter.

Clubs instruct their employees not to portion and drive, thing they astir apt should already know. Some clubs link players and others with rideshare programs oregon archer players to telephone nine information if they consciousness unsure of their quality to drive.

But a ample percent of these incidents, similar Shanahan's head-on collision, bash not impact alcohol.

More NFL drivers seemingly could larn thing from the Dan Marino example.

FOLLOW ARMANDO SALGUERO ON X: @ARMANDOSALGUERO