Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Perrion Winfrey arrested in domestic dispute
Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Perrion Winfrey was arrested Monday following an argument with his girlfriend, according to TMZ. He was charged with misdemeanor assault-family member and released on a $1,000 bond.
The incident occurred around 7 p.m. in Harris County, Texas. Winfrey and his girlfriend were fighting “over a dog and keys to a rental car,” court documents say, when he allegedly grabbed and pulled her hand, causing “bodily injury.”
Bystanders reportedly had to intervene to separate the couple. The woman told prosecutors that this was not the first time that Winfrey had assaulted her. The defensive tackle is scheduled for a hearing in the case next week.
A Browns spokesman said the team is “aware of the situation and gathering more information.”
More on Perrion Winfrey’s rocky rookie season with Cleveland Browns
The Browns selected Winfrey in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft out of Oklahoma. He appeared in 13 games this past season to finish with 22 tackles (one for loss) and 0.5 sacks.
Winfrey’s rookie season was didn’t go quite the way he would have liked. Cleveland coaches were reportedly frustrated over “maturity issues” with the young defensive player early in the year. Browns defensive lineman Myles Garrett addressed the narrative surrounding Winfrey in a September interview.
“I think we all have to step up and say something, but sometimes silence speaks louder than words,” Garrett said regarding Winfrey, via Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “We’ve used our voice a couple of times and at the end of the day, he’s got to learn how to be a pro.”
Winfrey was inactive for three straight games last season against the Bengals, Dolphins and Bills. Shortly after being declared inactive for the Bills game on Nov. 20, Winfrey vented about his struggles in a since-deleted tweet.
“I can’t fake it this been one of the worst years of my life … I WONT stop tho,” he wrote.
Winfrey has since tried to move on from those down days, but this recent news unfortunately seems like another step in the wrong direction. The defensive tackle was considered a draft steal coming out of OU, where he played two seasons and recorded 40 tackles (16.5 for loss), six sacks and a forced fumble.
Despite the shaky start to his pro career, Winfrey will hope to put the past behind him and live up to the potential he flashed in college as he prepares for his second NFL season in 2023.