Derrius Guice Had Charges Dropped, Will He Get Another NFL Shot?

Former LSU and Washington Football Team running back Derrius Guice received a bit of rare, good news Wednesday. Guice had charges stemming from an August domestic violence arrest dismissed by a Virginia judge after reaching a settlement with his accuser, clearing a potential path for a second shot in the NFL. Whether or not any team rolls the dice on the talented, but troubled Guice is anyone’s guess.

Guice was a hot name leading up to the 2018 NFL Draft after recording 32 touchdowns at LSU, and twice being named to All-SEC teams. Often mentioned as a first-round talent, Guice slid to the 59^th overall selection as questions about his character surfaced throughout the pre-draft process. An impressive rookie training camp seemed to open the door for a large workload in the Washington backfield. But those plans were put on hold after Guice tore his ACL in the team’s first preseason game, landing him on injured reserve.

His second season didn’t go much better. He saw action in five games sandwiched between two other injuries and found the end zone just three times. Since then, the former Tiger’s generated more off-field headlines than on. In August of 2020 he was arrested on three misdemeanor charges of assault and battery, a felony count of strangulation and one count of destruction of property. A girlfriend accused the 225-pound running back of strangling her unconscious. Shortly after the arrest was made public, word spread that Guice had been accused by the same woman of two other domestic violence incidents earlier in the year.

Hours after learning of the domestic violence charges last August, Washington waived Guice.

After the charges were dismissed, attorneys representing Guice and his accuser released a joint statement, per ESPN: “They both have worked very hard toward a resolution of their relationship. They both wish that the other, now and in the future, does well and that both can move on from this difficult process.”

Though Guice found a way to avoid these charges, he’s not yet in the clear. This past winter, multiple former LSU students accused Guice of sex crimes. Allegations that Guice has denied. Following the claims, LSU banned Guice from campus and his name has been removed from the school record books.

The NFL is the land of second (and third, and fourth, and fifth) chances, as long as the talent is worth the trouble. Now a free agent, Guice will likely soon find out if the league deems him worth the risk.