Full disclosure: I broke my kneecap and tore a bunch of tendons back in January. This means I have been stuck at home in a wheelchair unable to really walk, shower, climb stairs, drive, etc. since the weekend of the AFC Championship game. This also means I have had a lot of time to sit and think.
In my oxy-induced fog, I learned of the Britt Reid crash. This hit home for me and struck a nerve because I had a childhood friend involved in an accident that left her with severe brain damage. That driver was not driving under the influence, so it made this incident even more heartbreaking because it was entirely preventable.
Shortly after Reid’s accident, being a lawyer by trade, I was asked about the implications of the crash—especially since the police report said Britt admitted to having drinks before getting behind the wheel—and I maintain that we will probably have no idea for quite some time. Court cases take so long to play out, and it doesn’t help that COVID has backed up the court systems.
But it also got me thinking… I’ve been asked this sort of question a lot of times recently with the K.C. Chiefs, at least once or twice every season. How will [insert player’s name’s] run-in with the law impact them legally? People want to know how the court case will play out whether it is family law or criminal law. The list includes Britt Reid, Tyreek Hill, Bashaud Breeland, and Kareem Hunt, and I’ve written about it every time.
Seeing that list of names makes me wonder if there is something wrong. Why is it that the Chiefs—and it isn’t exclusively the Chiefs, but extends to the NFL—have so many run-ins with the law? Why do they apparently tolerate these issues? Why does it seem like the NFL will fix players and tout their successes, but overlook or downplay the problems? Do the NFL and the Chiefs have a penchant for giving too many chances to supremely talented but troubled players—thus, trying to fix players—and do those chances hurt other people?
The Chiefs are part of the NFL’s bigger focus on fixing players and ignoring victims.
First, we should define “fix.” All the players listed above had legal problems that jeopardized their football careers—whether that was via suspension, being cut, possibly being banned, or not having a contract renewed. When I say the NFL and the Chiefs try to “fix” players, I mean they try to put such players on the right path, to reform them as upstanding community members and no longer find themselves faced with court dates. The idea is that the NFL and the Chiefs, more specifically, can take men who have problems and change them. Then, they can show the world what a great system they have that allows them to reform these troubled players (and I think it is important to note that I don’t necessarily buy into this idea).
Taking a deeper dive into the stories of “problem children” the Chiefs have employed in the recent past, there are quite a few examples. We saw allegations that Kareem Hunt was in an altercation with a woman. The Chiefs notably said he was getting help and kept him on the roster—they “fixed” him—and told the world that he was in counseling and working through whatever issues he had to become a better person. However, when video surfaced of the incident, the Chiefs immediately released him. Reports make it seem like Hunt lied to the team. The message the Chiefs seemed to send was: if you tell the truth, you’ll stay on the team because we can help you become a better person. We all know that the minute he was cut, he was signed by the Browns, another team that came running in to say they could fix Hunt and make him the star he deserved to be.
Bashaud Breeland was arrested for resisting arrest last offseason but remained with the team. Was this because he was honest with them about the situation? Again, did they think they had “fixed” a player who they wanted to keep around, a talent they couldn’t afford to lose?
With Britt Reid, rather than actually fire him, they allowed his contract to expire. They knew he had a history of legal troubles and ignored those. Why? Was it simply because Andy Reid was his father or was there something else? Did they believe they could “fix” someone by bringing them into the fold? I’m very critical of the Chiefs’ response to Britt’s situation. The response was tepid at best. They have done nothing to help the little girl or her family, to our knowledge, despite the fact that the organization itself may be implicated in any future civil suits.
The Chiefs believe in multiple chances for players, a posture rooted in the hope that they can change or fix people. Now, don’t get me wrong, one of my core beliefs is that people deserve second chances. But is this the best way? To take someone with insane talent and overlook really troubling behaviors in their past—reform them—and then tout them as successes? Normal applicants for jobs aren’t handed millions of dollars while their employers overlook felony charges. Are the Chiefs (and maybe the NFL) too forgiving? Do they allow too many second chances and overlook actions in favor of talent? And what happens to the people hurt in the process? We cannot forget about the people who have their lives changed because of the actions of these players.
On a successful note, there was the entire Tyreek Hill saga. We all know the horrible charges he pled guilty to in college that allowed him to plummet in the draft. The Chiefs took a gamble on him – a chance to fix him. When new allegations surfaced about him potentially breaking his son’s arm, the Chiefs maintained radio silence. Ultimately, when he was cleared by the NFL, the Chiefs locked him in long term. Were the Chiefs proud that they had “fixed” someone, had helped reform someone from a terrible and horrible past? To his credit, it does appear that he has turned everything around. His name is no longer in the headlines for anything other than backflips into the end zone.
The Chiefs also signed Deandre Baker last season. Baker was cut by the Giants after charges from an alleged robbery surfaced. Immediately after he was cleared of the charges, the Chiefs signed him. Another player with a history that includes some run ins with the law that seems like he can be fixed. He, of course, was cleared of the charges, but there is something to be said about putting yourself in situations that could lead to legal problems. If Baker turns around into a successful player with no more legal problems, can the Chiefs say they reformed him much like Hill?
I’m casting no judgment here, but most recently, we’ve seen 19 lawsuits filed against Deshaun Watson alleging sexual misconduct. I will make no comment on the veracity of the claims, but assume the allegations settle—all 19. Watson will still play in the NFL, no doubt, because he is supremely talented. Are we willing and able to overlook the allegations? Does the NFL think it can fix him?
And what do we make of the Chiefs in all of this? Should we be more critical about the choices they make regarding players? In Hill’s situation, it appears, at least from the outside, that he has turned his life around. He is a success story from our perspective. However, that isn’t always the case. Is it wishful thinking that the Chiefs keep giving players second chances? Are they intent on “fixing” people? With the success they had with Hill, are the Chiefs willing to look past horrible allegations in favor of talent?
If that is the case, then the Chiefs need to do more for the people hurt in the process. Right now, the Chiefs should step in and pay for the injuries that little girl sustained. That money is nothing compared to the amount they bring in from one of Hill’s backflips into the end zone or an interception by Breeland. If the Chiefs and the NFL want to keep rewarding players who get in trouble, then they need to do more to help those hurt.
I don’t have an answer for everything that needs to be done, and I also don’t believe you only get one shot in life. However, the Chiefs and the NFL should take a hard look at the help they are offering players and the help provided to those that are hurt. Offering mental health services for players that continues past the time they retire may be one way to help. I am sure there are others, but until the Chiefs and NFL really invest the time and energy in the people of the sport rather than worry about the money coming in the door, there will always be a stain on the game.