7 NFL Players in Jail or Who Have Been Involved in Crimes
by Richard Janvrin,
November 25, 2025
While we as fans turn to the NFL for entertainment, be it for watching the games or engaging with NFL betting sites to wager on our favorite teams or players, we cannot forget that these world-class athletes we’re watching are humans, and with that come flaws of their own.
These flaws, however, can sometimes be serious criminal charges that can give a collective jaw-drop across the entirety of the league, from the fans, teammates, league office, team’s front office, and more.
Unfortunately, NFL players in jail have happened and will continue to happen.
Below, I’ll dig into seven of the most shocking incidents, including NFL murderers, NFL players that went to prison, and more.
Aaron Hernandez
Drafted by the New England Patriots in the fourth round and No. 113th overall of the 2010 NFL Draft, Hernandez showed plenty of promise quickly.
From 2010 to 2012, he played in 38 games and caught 175 passes for 1,956 yards and 18 touchdowns alongside one of the greatest tight ends ever, Rob Gronkowski.
His efforts helped him land a five-year, $39.58 million deal in August 2012.
Backing things up, Hernandez had plenty of legal issues dating back to his time as a college player with the Florida Gators.
As a 17-year-old, he sucker punched a restaurant employee. That happened in April 2007. A few months later, he was questioned after a double-shooting, but no charges were filed.
Hernandez even failed a drug test while playing for Florida, which was revealed before the NFL Draft.
The serious news about Hernandez in June 2013 put the NFL on the map in a way that no one saw coming at the time.
The body of Odin Lloyd, who was dating the sister of Hernandez’s fiancée, was found at an industrial park near Hernandez’s home.
Later that month, Hernandez was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. During this time, Hernandez faced more charges, this time for the double homicide of Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado, which happened in July 2012. He was later acquitted of these charges.
Also, just months before Lloyd’s body was found, a man named Alexander Bradley filed a civil lawsuit against Hernandez, claiming Hernandez shot him in the face, causing permanent damage to his eye.
On April 15, 2015, Hernandez was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
About two years later, on April 19, 2017, Hernandez was found dead in his prison cell. He hanged himself.
It would later be revealed that Hernandez dealt with a lot of abuse as a child, including beatings and, according to family members, molestation.
Regardless, this is perhaps the most high-profile criminal case in NFL history.
Not only is Hernandez among the list of criminal football players, but he’s also among the small list of NFL murderers.
Michael Vick
Vick was selected No. 1 overall in the 2001 NFL Draft. That same year, Vick, along with associated Quanis Phillips and Tony Taylor (and later, Purnell Peace), began a dogfighting operation.
From 2002 to 2005, Vick purchased property used for the operation and established “Bad Newz Kennels,” which houses over 50 pitbulls, had dogfights, and participated in interstate illegal activities.
In 2007, this all began to come out. A search warrant was executed in April 2007 and again in June 2007.
A federal grand jury indicted Vick and three others in July 2007.
After a plea bargain, Vick pled guilty to conspiracy under RICO law for sponsoring dog fighting.
During the time Vick was out on bail, he violated the terms after testing positive for marijuana.
On December 10, 2007, Vick was sentenced to 23 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $1 million in restitution.
Later, in 2008, he pled guilty to another dogfighting charge and received a three-year suspended sentence and a $2,500 fine.
Vick was released from prison after serving 18 months on July 20, 2009.
Following his prison stint, Vick did his best to make amends, teaming up with the Humane Society of the United States, lobbying on Capitol Hill in favor of the Animal Fighting Spectator Prohibition Act, supporting documentaries about the subject, speaking out against games like Dog Wars, an app that involved dog fighting, and more.
Fortunately, it seems like Vick was one of the NFL players in jail who seemingly came out of it to attempt to do some good.
Darren Sharper
A former NFL safety, Sharper pled guilty in 2015 to crimes across numerous states related to rape and sexual assault. The crimes also included drugging the victims. The crimes occurred in Louisiana, California, Arizona, and Nevada.
Sharper has a tentative release date set for December 2028, following a sentence of approximately 20 years in prison.
Rae Carruth
In November 1999, former NFL wide receiver Rae Carruth orchestrated a murder-for-hire plot against Cherica Adams, who was his girlfriend and eight months pregnant. The man responsible for the shooting was Van Brett Watkins. He drove up beside her vehicle and did the shooting. During a 911 call, Adams identified Carruth before passing away. The child survived with an emergency C-section but suffered neurological damage.
He was convicted in January 2001 on charges of conspiracy to commit murder, discharging a firearm into occupied property, and attempting to destroy an unborn child.
Carruth became another one on the list of NFL players in jail. He received a prison sentence of 18 years and 11 months to 24 years and four months. He was released in October 2018. Watkins died in prison in December 2023.
While he didn’t pull the trigger himself, I still consider him one of the few NFL murderers.
Lawrence Phillips
Phillips entered the NFL as a promising prospect, going No. 6 overall in the 1996 NFL Draft. He was a fantastic running back at Nebraska, rushing for 30 touchdowns, including 16 in 1994.
While in college, Phillips displayed his violent tendencies. He was charged with assaulting a female student and breaking into the apartment of an ex-girlfriend and assaulting her. He was suspended from Nebraska.
Still, he was selected No. 6 overall in the 1996 NFL Draft despite being one of the known criminal football players.
In 2005, after his playing days, he drove his car into three teenagers and choked his girlfriend unconscious. The car ramming into the three teenagers was intentional.
He would later be sentenced to 31 total years in prison. While in prison, he strangled his cellmate, Damion Soward, and was charged with murder. Of all the NFL players who committed crimes, few have had longer sentences than Phillips, who would’ve also likely gotten perhaps the death penalty for the cellmate murder.
In January 2016, Phillips committed suicide in his cell.
Henry Ruggs III
In November 2021, just about a year after going No. 12 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft, Henry Ruggs III was involved in a high-speed DUI crash. He was clocked at going 156 miles per hour while intoxicated. He rear-ended a vehicle that had Tina Tintor and her dog inside.
The Toyota RAV4 burst into flames, and both Tintor and her dog died inside the vehicle. It took 20 minutes to extinguish the blaze.
In May 2023, Ruggs III pled guilty to felony DUI causing death and vehicular manslaughter. He was sentenced to three to 10 years in prison and is eligible for parole in August 2026.
Tinor was just 23 years old.
Ray Rice
In February 2014, Ray Rice and now now-wife Janay Palmer were arrested at Revel Casino in Atlantic City after getting into a fight.
A few days later, TMZ secured footage of the video of Rice dragging an unconscious Palmer out of an elevator after hitting her.
He was indicted on third-degree aggravated assault charges.
A month later, Rice and Palmer married.
At first, Rice was suspended for two games. Later, a second video of Rice punching Palmer in the elevator surfaced.
Rice was eventually indefinitely suspended and released by the Ravens.
He’s one of the criminal football players for whom something changed within the NFL’s rules. A domestic violence policy came into effect, which had a mandatory six-game suspension on the first offense and perhaps a lifetime ban on the second.
Rice never played in the NFL again.