Cardinals CB Jeff Gladney dies in car accident at age 25

Former NFL first-round draft pick Jeff Gladney died in a car accident early Monday morning.

Gladney’s agent, Brian Overstreet, confirmed reports that Gladney was killed in a car crash in the Dallas area. He was one of two people who died in the accident, according to CBS DFW. Gladney was 25.

Police responded to a call of a major accident involving an overturned vehicle at around 2:30 a.m. on Monday. Deputies who arrived at the scene found two wrecked vehicles and two people dead. The identity of the other person who was killed, a female, has not been released.

A preliminary investigation determined that one vehicle was speeding and clipped the other from behind, according to police. The vehicle that was speeding lost control and hit a pier beam on the Woodall Rogers Freeway, killing Gladney and a passenger. Two people were in the second vehicle, but neither was seriously injured.

Gladney, a former TCU star, was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He played in all 16 games as a rookie but was cut prior to the 2021 season in the wake of domestic violence allegations. He was indicted for domestic violence in August 2021 and found not guilty earlier this year. Gladney signed with the Arizona Cardinals less than a week later.