Former Vikings first-round pick found not guilty of assaulting a woman

Former Minnesota Vikings 2020 first-round draft pick, Jeff Gladney, was found not guilty of felony domestic violence in Texas on Friday.

During the 2021 offseason, Jeff Gladney was preparing to enter his second year as a member of the Minnesota Vikings. Gladney had himself a solid rookie season for the Vikings after he was selected by the franchise in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

But then last April, Gladney was charged third-degree felony family violence assault after he allegedly punched and strangled a 22-year-old woman who claimed to be in a relationship with him at the time.

Minnesota eventually released the young defensive back last August, leaving the team’s cornerback group even thinner than it already was. On Thursday, Gladney was found not guilty of his assault charge according to multiple reports.

Will Jeff Gladney return to the Minnesota Vikings for the 2022 season?

Anything is possible these days, but the chances of Gladney returning to the team that cut him before he was found innocent of his charges seem extremely low. So don’t expect the young cornerback to be suiting up in purple and gold for the 2022 season.

At the same time, the Vikings shouldn’t be faulted for their decision to part ways with Gladney last year. They felt the accusations he was facing were serious enough to end his time with the organization. Most teams around the NFL would have likely made a similar decision.

Due to Minnesota moving on from him last year, Gladney is now free to sign with whichever NFL team presents him with an offer. Considering he was a first-round pick in 2020, there will probably be several teams interested in adding him to their roster for the 2022 season.