OLATHE
Sammy
Watkins Jersey , Kan. (AP) ¡ª The Kansas City Chiefs effectively suspended
Tyreek Hill from all team-related activities Thursday night while they
investigate an audio recording that aired on a local TV station in which the
star wide receiver¡¯s fiancee accused him of abusing their 3-year-old son.The
recording surfaced one day after prosecutors said they believed abuse had
occurred in Hill¡¯s home last month but that they could not press charges because
it was unclear who committed the crime.Chiefs general manager Brett Veach read a
statement after the conclusion of the first round of the NFL draft that said the
team became aware of the recording between Hill and his fiancee, Crystal
Espinal, in ¡°real-time¡± ¡ª just like the general public.Afterward, Veach called
Hill¡¯s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, and informed him that Hill would no longer be
allowed to work out with the team. The Chiefs are in the midst of voluntary
offseason workouts.¡°We were deeply disturbed by what we heard. We have deep
concern for Crystal, and are concerned for Tyreek, but we have real concern for
the child,¡± Veach said in his statement. ¡°We are going to continue to gather
information and we will make the right decision.¡±Veach declined to take any
questions. Chiefs coach Andy Reid and chairman Clark Hunt, who also were in the
building for the start of the draft, were not made available.Police were called
to Hill¡¯s home twice last month and investigators determined their child had
been injured. On Wednesday, Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe said
charges would not be filed but that he was ¡°deeply troubled¡± by the situation
and said ¡°we believe a crime has occurred.¡±Howe also said the case could be
reopened if new information surfaced.Hill released a statement through his
attorney earlier Thursday in which he said his ¡°son¡¯s health and happiness is my
number one priority.¡± Hill said his focus is on ¡°working hard to be the best
person for my family and our community that I can be, and the best player to
help our team win.¡±Less than eight hours
later
Anthony
Hitchens Jersey , KCTV in Kansas City aired part of an 11-minute audio
file in which Espinal tells Hill that when asked about an injury to the child¡¯s
arm, the boy replied:, ¡°Daddy did it.¡±Hill denied any role in what happened to
the child, saying: ¡°He says Daddy does a lot of things.¡±Espinal also tells Hill
their son is ¡°terrified of you.¡±Hill replies, ¡°You need to be terrified of me,
too, bitch.¡±Later in the conversation, Espinal asks Hill, ¡°What do you do when
the child is bad? You make him open up his arms and you punch him in the
chest.¡±KCTV said the audio was sent to the station without disclosing from whom.
The station said it had shared the audio with Howe¡¯s office, which did not
return a message late Thursday.Hill is a two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver with a
history of domestic issues, including a case in which he was accused of punching
Espinal while she was pregnant and they were attending Oklahoma State.Hill¡¯s
attorney, Trey Pettlon, has said that the wide receiver has cooperated with law
enforcement throughout the investigation. Pettlon also said that Hill waived his
Fifth Amendment
rights
Chad Henne
Jersey , answered questions from law enforcement and the Department of
Children and Families, and that he would continue to cooperate with authorities
as they provide a safe environment for the child.That statement was thrown into
question by the audio, during which Espinal indicates she covered for Hill while
answering questions from investigators: ¡°Now I really want you to sit and think
about it,¡± she tells Hill, ¡°because I rode for you against that detective.¡±Howe
would not say who has custody of the child other than to say he is safe.¡°We¡¯re
talking about a minor, a child, and the system and DCF and in child
investigations, we have to be very cognizant about protecting the rights of the
child,¡± Howe said Wednesday. ¡°We have to respect the wishes of the individuals
involved in the case.¡±Hill is entering the final year of his rookie contract,
and the Chiefs have little depth at wide receiver. That means it is possible the
Chiefs could target a pass-catcher when they make one of their three picks
Friday night ¡ª they traded their first-round pick to Seattle earlier this week
as part of a package to acquire pass rusher Frank Clark, who has his own history
of domestic violence.Last year, the Chiefs released star running back Kareem
Hunt following a video that showed him pushing and kicking a woman in a hotel
hallway.Before the audio of Hill was broadcast, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell
warned about making any judgments before getting all the facts. But he did make
it clear that Hill could be punished under the league¡¯s personal conduct
policy
Kendall
Fuller Jersey , regardless of the legal situation.¡°You don¡¯t make a
decision without having those facts,¡± Goodell said. Steelers owner Art Rooney II
covered a lot of ground on a Friday conference call with reporters. Like many
old-guard owners, he seems to be reluctant to embrace change on issues of
potential tweaks to the rules. In one very important area, however, Rooney seems
to be on board.Mark Kaboly of TheAthletic.com interpreted Rooney¡¯s remarks on
the proposed rule change from the Chiefs regarding overtime as a ¡°hint¡± that he
supports it.The Chiefs want both teams to be guaranteed a possession in
overtime, even if the team that possesses the ball first scores a touchdown. The
current rule has allowed the Patriots to win a Super Bowl two years ago and to
gain a berth in the Super Bowl two months ago by winning the toss at the outset
of overtime, taking the ball, and scoring a walk-off six-pointer.The issue
presents a clash of those who argue for fairness and the crowd. During Friday¡¯s
PFTOT, a compromise was proposed. I¡¯ll post something on it later in the day,
possibly while moving through the airspace between West Virginia and Arizona,
where the NFL annual meetings will soon be underway.