The news surrounding New York Jets defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson has been nothing but bad of late. Richardson, already suspended for the first four games of the 2015 NFL season after multiple - self-admitted - failed drug tests, was also arrested earlier this month in connection with a "high-speed road race" in Missouri. While Richardson made an appearance at Jets training camp on Thursday and did his best to make it clear that he'd gotten the message and was going to keep his nose clean from here on out, the news of his charges, which also include endangering a minor, broke only a few short hours later, making it very clear that Richardson hadn't actually gotten the message. In fact, another new report suggests that Richardson's arrest actually "blindsided" the Jets, who were unaware of the incident.
"Until Fox 2 in St. Louis reported it Thursday evening, the Jets were completely unaware that Richardson, their talented defensive end who's already facing a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's policy on substance abuse, had been charged in St. Charles County, Mo., after allegedly leading cops on a 143-mph chase, at the end of which police allegedly discovered a gun in the vehicle, that the vehicle's occupants smelled like marijuana, and that a 12-year-old child had been one of Richardson's three passengers," Dom Cosentino of NJ.com reports.
This is what Richardson had to say at Jets training camp on Thursday: "I take full accountability for my actions. Like I said before, I apologize to my teammates, to this organization, I told them you don't have to worry about my name being in the news again."
It's not a good sign that Richardson failed to notify the team of his arrest. It looks bad for him and it looks bad for the team that their Pro Bowl defensive lineman wouldn't own up to his mistakes. After the news broke, the Jets would say only that they were now aware of Richardson's further issues.
"We are aware of the situation and gathering information," a Jets spokesman said, via Cosentino. "This is a pending legal matter, and we will have no further comment at this time."
