Arizona Cardinals running back Jonathan Dwyer leaves jail
Sep 18, 2014, 6:54 AM | Updated: 5:58 pm
PHOENIX — Arizona Cardinals running back Jonathan Dwyer was released from jail early Thursday morning after posting bail.
Dwyer was arrested the day before on charges of aggravated assault against his wife and toddler son.
The charges stemmed from a pair of blowups in July at the couple’s Phoenix home. During one of the quarrels, according to police documents, Dwyer, 25, allegedly head-butted his wife and broke her nose. He also allegedly threatened to kill himself if she told police about the argument and threw a shoe at their 18-month-old child.
The report included witness statements that the couple had been arguing loudly.
Dwyer’s wife left Arizona with the child shortly thereafter.
During his court appearance, the state requested electronic monitoring of Dwyer. He also cannot have any contact with his wife, Kayla, and their son.
After his release from the Fourth Avenue Jail around 5 a.m., Dwyer said that he would never hurt his son and that he would play football again.
After hearing the news, the Cardinals immediately deactivated Dwyer, meaning he would be on a type of paid suspension and wouldn’t participate in Sunday’s game. Later on Thursday, the team placed Dwyer on the non-football illness list, which gives the Cardinals the option of not paying him for the remainder of the season.
Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians said hearing the news was a huge shock, after knowing Dwyer for about five years.
“It was like the worst nightmare a coach can have right now,” he said.
Arians went on to say the recent explosion of domestic violence cases in the NFL is a sign of a worldwide problem that is finally getting the attention it deserves.
“I think (domestic violence) has been going on for a long, long time and finally people are becoming aware of it and doing something about it,” he said. “If this bad scar on the NFL helps the rest of the world know what’s going on, it’s damn good.”
Arians and his wife Christine are advocates against domestic violence, especially of children. They created the Arians Family Foundation in 2013 to help children who have been victims of abuse, and Christine Arians was a court-appointed special advocate, or CASA, for abused children for 18 years.
After this incident, the Cardinals were left with three running backs, Andre Ellington, Stepfan Taylor and Chris Rainey, the latter of which was released by the Pittsburgh Steelers following domestic abuse allegations.
The Cardinals released Rainey on Thursday, saying it was for football-related reasons, and signed running back Kerwynn Williams to the practice squad.
Arians said the team will not let this incident distract them from their goals and they have continued with their regular practice schedule.
KTAR’s Jim Cross and Emily Mahoney contributed to this report.