The Washington Football Team released former LSU running back Derrius Guice on Aug. 7 after learning that he was involved in domestic violence-related incidents.
“This afternoon we learned that there were multiple charges filed against Derrius. Upon review of the nature of these charges and following internal discussions, we have decided to release Derrius immediately,” the team said in a statement.
The oft-injured running back was released shortly after being arrested and charged with one count of strangulation, a felony and three counts of assault and battery.
Guice was also charged with destruction of property and was later released on a $10,000 uninsured bond.
“The failure to fully investigate allegations of events, which allegedly took place months ago, is inexplicable,” Guice’s lawyer, Peter D. Greenspun, said in a statement. “Derrius will defend these charges in court, where a full vetting of the allegations will take place, in contrast to actions by local law enforcement and the Washington Football Team that assumed the worst, directly contradicting every sense of fairness and due process.”
Guice was involved in three separate domestic violence-related cases dating back to Feb. 14, March 13 and April 17 at his residence in Ashburn, Virginia, according to police reports.
Despite having a stellar career at LSU, Guice fell to Washington in the second round (59th overall) of the 2018 NFL draft. He rushed for more than 3,000 yards, had 32 touchdowns and averaged a whopping 7.8 yards per carry for the Tigers during his collegiate career.
However, Guice suffered many injuries as he transitioned into the NFL. The 23-year-old had to sit out his rookie season after tearing his ACL in the preseason opener against the New England Patriots. The following season, he had a meniscus tear and then sustained a MCL sprain. He only rushed 42 times for 245 yards and two touchdowns in Washington.
The squad’s remaining running backs on the roster are Bryce Love, Adrian Peterson, Peyton Barber, J.D. McKissic and Antonio Gibson.
Love is coming off an injury that caused him to miss his rookie campaign, while Peterson will be the veteran presence in the locker room. Peterson led the team in rushing last season with 898 yards and five touchdowns on 4.3 yards per carry.
Barber and McKissic are free-agent acquisitions looking to make an impact, and Gibson was drafted in the third round (66th overall) in the 2020 NFL draft out of the University of Memphis.