CB Jeff Gladney acquitted on assault charge

Former first-round pick Jeff Gladney has been acquitted by a jury on an assault charge, reports Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com.

The cornerback was released by the Vikings last August following an indictment for domestic violence. Gladney faced allegations of choking, punching and shoving a woman during an incident in April 2021.

“First and foremost, this has had a real impact on Jeff Gladney as a person,” said agents Brian E. Overstreet and Rodney Williams, via Wilson. “These situations have very real consequences for the young men involved. This has been a challenging time for Jeff mentally, spiritually and athletically. So, we applaud Jeff for having the courage to stand and fight for his freedom versus these false allegations. We further hope this will encourage other athletes in the future who have been falsely accused, blackmailed or persuaded to provide hush money to make these type of situations go away, to now take a stand and defend themselves as well.”

The TCU product was selected in the first round of the 2020 draft by the Vikings. He got into 16 games (15 starts) as a rookie, finishing with 81 tackles and three passes defended.