Jeff Gladney hints at false accusations leading to arrest in April
By Adam Patrick
Minnesota Vikings cornerback Jeff Gladney recently made some posts on his Instagram account that could shed some light on his future with the team.
Back in the early part of April, 24-year-old Minnesota Vikings cornerback Jeff Gladney was in the headlines after allegedly assaulting a 22-year-old woman in Dallas, Texas.
Gladney ended up turning himself in to the Dallas County Jail and he was charged with third-degree felony family violence assault. The details of his alleged assault are disturbing and if convicted, he could face between two to 10 years in prison.
We haven’t heard anything from the Vikings cornerback since the alleged incident. Recently, however, he made some posts on his Instagram account that seemed to hint at him possibly being falsely accused of his alleged crimes.
Minnesota Vikings cornerback Jeff Gladney comments publicly on April incident for first time
During the last two weeks, Minnesota has been holding their voluntary OTA practices, and the majority of the team’s roster has been in attendance for these sessions. However, Gladney has not participated in any of the Vikings’ OTA practices this year.
This has led some to wonder if his absence has anything to do with his arrest in April. Back on May 15, Minnesota head coach Mike Zimmer said he didn’t have any updates on Gladney’s current status, that the team is letting things “play out,” and he can’t share what he knows about the incident.
Well, even though Zimmer can’t share anything new on the status of the team’s young corner, Gladney recently made a few posts on his Instagram account that seem to give his side of the story (via Sports Illustrated’s Will Ragatz).
Judging from these posts, Gladney appears to hint at the alleged victim accusing him of crimes he didn’t commit because he did not want to be in a relationship with her.
Whether he is guilty of the alleged assault or not, it’s likely going to be a while until anyone finds out.
It’s possible that Gladney could still play for the Vikings during the upcoming season. But with the team’s most recent free-agent addition on Friday, cornerback Bashaud Breeland, Minnesota seems to be preparing for the possibility of Gladney not being available for the 2021 campaign.
The Vikings’ first day of this year’s mandatory minicamp will take place on Tuesday, June 15. If Gladney ends up being absent from these practices as well, then the doubts about his future with the team will only increase.