Inside Slant

The Sports Xchange

December 20, 2018 at 1:01 pm.

Redskins S Nicholson shelved after arrest

Washington Redskins safety Montae Nicholson will not play the rest of the season after being placed on the reserve/non-football illness list Wednesday following his arrest earlier this week for assault and battery and public intoxication.

Nicholson, a fourth-round draft pick in 2017 who began the season as a starter, did not practice on Wednesday. While his teammates practiced, however, the website TMZ posted video allegedly of Nicholson’s altercation in the early morning hours Tuesday. It allegedly shows Nicholson punching a man repeatedly.

That was enough for the Redskins, who designated Nicholson for the reserve list and ended his season. He becomes the 21st player whose season is over. This one was self-inflicted and not an injury, but Washington leads the NFL in that category each of the past two years.

“We’ll take a look at all that stuff,” Washington head coach Jay Gruden said. “Talk to Montae first, look at the video or whatever is out there and obviously talk to the police and go from there.”

Nicholson had already lost his starting spot when the Redskins acquired veteran safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix in a trade with the Green Bay Packers to play next to D.J. Swearinger. Now his future is uncertain as the legal saga unfolds. It is possible he will not play for Washington again.

Nicholson has not taken a defensive snap since Week 10. In his rookie season, he played in just eight games because of a shoulder injury that landed him on injured reserve, but flashed promise with six starts and an interception.

And that all occurred during a week when the 7-7 Redskins have a legitimate chance to make the playoffs with two games remaining. Now they are down a reserve safety heading into a game against Tennessee this Sunday.

SERIES HISTORY: 13th regular-season meeting. Series tied, 6-6, with the 12 previous games spread over 47 years. Washington won the last game at FedExField on Oct. 19, 2014, a 19-17 victory.