Could the Kansas City Chiefs pursue former Minnesota Vikings CB Jeff Gladney now that he has been cleared of felony charges?
Last August, Gladney was indicted on a felony assault charge. He was released by the Vikings just hours afterward. On Thursday, Gladney was acquitted of the charges by a jury in Dallas, Texas.
A former TCU standout, Gladney was drafted with pick No. 31 in the 2020 NFL draft, one pick prior to the Chiefs’ selection of RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire. The team showed interest in him ahead of the draft, hosting Gladney on one of their allotted virtual pre-draft visits.
The Chiefs are no stranger to giving players second chances, especially at the cornerback position. They did so with former first-round draft pick Deandre Baker, who was released by the New York Giants due to allegations of armed robbery. Baker was eventually cleared and eventually joined the Chiefs’ practice squad. He is going on his third season in Kansas City after being tendered as an exclusive rights free agent.
At the same time, the Chiefs tried to do the same thing with troubled CB Damon Arnette, formerly of the Las Vegas Raiders. That didn’t last after he was arrested on a litany of charges in late January and subsequently released by Kansas City. This also speaks to the low-risk nature of these types of signings, though. If it doesn’t work out, you simply move on.
Gladney, 25, fits GM Brett Veach’s modus operandi and a one-year deal could be beneficial for both parties. The Chiefs have needs in the secondary with CB Charvarius Ward slated to hit free agency. Gladney needs to prove that he’s capable of staying out of trouble and playing at a high level in the NFL. The 5-10 and 191-pound corner played only his rookie season, starting 15-of-16 games in 2020, with 81 total tackles and a forced fumble on the year.
