Bengals' Darius Hodge arrested for alleged 2019 assault

Cincinnati Bengals rookie pass rusher Darius Hodge is not enjoying a pleasant start to his NFL career.

According to Raleigh television station WRAL, Hodge was arrested Sunday on assault charges stemming from an alleged incident that occurred in 2019. The report adds Hodge is accused of repeatedly hitting a man. 

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk explains that Hodge will not face any punishment under the NFL's personal conduct policy because the alleged incident happened when he was attending Marshall University. However, he could face a more severe suspension or fine down the road if he's involved in a similar occurrence at any point of his pro career. 

Per Sports Reference, Hodge accumulated 117 total tackles, 15.5 sacks, 20.5 tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries, one forced fumble, and a pair of pass breakups in college. He went undrafted and was signed by the Bengals as a free agent.