Kansas City Chiefs defensive backs coach Dave Merritt has been charged with misdemeanor domestic battery, according to court documents first reported by the Kansas City Star.
The Johnson County District Attorney's office filed a complaint on Thursday morning, accusing Merritt of causing "bodily harm to a daughter" in what prosecutors characterized as a domestic violence offense. Overland Park police arrested Merritt the night before, around 8:50 p.m. Wednesday, and he was booked into the Johnson County jail roughly 90 minutes later.
Merritt is scheduled to make his first court appearance on Thursday afternoon in Johnson County District Court. Further details of the arrest were not made available as of press time, and the Chiefs acknowledged the arrest but declined to provide any comment on the matter.
The news of Merritt's arrest comes on the eve of the 2026 NFL Draft and the arrival of a rookie crop expected to include several potential pupils for the defensive backs coach. The Chiefs have watched several starters depart from the secondary this offseason, including corners Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson and safety Bryan Cook. K.C. drafted five defensive backs in 2022 at a similar juncture, and it's possible that the roster features just as many secondary additions this time around.
Merritt is the veteran holdover coach who has been heralded as a potential future coordinator for his work mentoring young defensive backs. However, this season, the Chiefs provided some further coaching help in the secondary with the hiring of longtime assistant Andre Curtis, who was the Dallas Cowboys' passing game coordinator in 2025.
Merritt has been coaching the Chiefs' secondary for the last seven seasons under defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. Prior to joining the Chiefs, he spent 14 seasons with the New York Giants and one with the Arizona Cardinals, accumulating five Super Bowl rings as a coach—two with New York and three with Kansas City.
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