The Minnesota Vikings released cornerback Jeff Gladney on Tuesday following Gladney’s indictment in Texas on a felony charge of domestic violence.
“Following our review of today’s indictment against Jeff Gladney, we have decided to release Jeff immediately,” the Vikings said in a statement. “As we have previously said, we take these matters very seriously and condemn all forms of domestic violence. Due to the ongoing legal nature of this matter, we are unable to provide further comment.”
Gladney’s ex-girlfriend accused him of hitting, choking and dragging her last April. A grand jury heard the case last week.
The victim has also filed a $1 million civil suit.
The woman said the altercation with Gladney began when they were inside a vehicle and he demanded to see text messages on her phone. She threw the phone out the window of the vehicle, but Gladney stopped to retrieve it.
According to the arrest affidavit, Gladney tried to shove the woman’s face toward the phone to make the Face ID unlock, pulling her hair in the process.
The woman told police Gladney struck her “with closed fists causing pain in the side of her ribs, in the stomach and the back,” according to the arrest report. She said Gladney later “began strangling (her) by the neck” and “dragged (her) across the ground” by her hair.
Gladney, 24, was the Vikings’ first-round pick in 2020 (No. 31 overall) out of Texas Christian. He started 15 of 16 games in his rookie season and made 81 tackles with three passes defended and one forced fumble.
Gladney had been away from the team since the charge came to light. Next, he will be arraigned, and he faces 2-10 years in prison if convicted.
