Chicago Bears Roster & News: Ray McDonald Released After Arrest Over Domestic Violence and Child Endangerment Charges
Newly-signed Chicago Bears defensive lineman Ray McDonald was released right after his arrest over domestic violence and child endangerment charges, NFL.com reported.
McDonald was arrested in California by police officers who confirmed the news to the sports site. McDonald allegedly "physically assaulted the victim while she was holding a baby." The report further stated that the law enforcers were not able to see McDonald at his Santa Clara residence, but he was later found and captured at 7 a.m. in San Jose.
The Bears issued a statement on Monday announcing its decision on striking McDonald out of its roster. "We believe in second chances, but when we signed Ray we were very clear what our expectations were if he was to remain a Bear. He was not able to meet the standard and the decision was made to release him," Bears general manager Ryan Pace said.
It was not the first time McDonald got himself into trouble over domestic violence. Last August, he was also arrested over the same issue, but was not formally charged. In December, he was linked to a sexual assault incident, which made the San Francisco 49ers decide to release him.
Despite these issues, McDonald was able to snag a one-year contract worth $1.5 million with the Bears in March. Team chairman George McCaskey initially did not like McDonald. However, McCaskey eventually believed McDonald will be a key addition to the squad, ESPN reported.
"We have a 96-year tradition of doing things a certain way, of bringing a certain type of player into our team. And those were my concerns going into the conversation with Ray. But I think you look at every situation individually. You try to find out as much information as you can that's reliable to make the best decision you can about whether to offer a player the privilege of becoming a Chicago Bear," McCaskey said of McDonald.
McCaskey appreciated McDonald's honesty and thought he was motivated enough. "I was impressed with how sincere he was and how motivated he is. He understands, I think, that he could have well been facing the end of his football career. And he loves football, and he wants that career to continue. So I was impressed with his motivation," McCaskey shared.
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