Los Angeles Rams star is charged with drunk driving days before playoff opener against Minnesota Vikings
Los Angeles Rams receiver Demarcus Robinson has reportedly been charged with driving under the influence just days ahead of the team’s playoff opener against the Minnesota Vikings in Glendale, Arizona.
Robinson was arrested in the early hours of Monday, November 25, on suspicion of drink-driving. TMZ was the first to report the drunk driving charge on Thursday.
Police stopped Robinson in Los Angeles when they saw him driving above 100 mph in his white Dodges sedan around 5 a.m.
“Officers observed objective signs and symptoms of alcohol abuse and Robinson was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence,” according to a CHP news release. “Robinson was cited and released to a responsible party.”
Robinson, 30, reportedly refused to perform a field sobriety test at the scene and was subsequently arrested.
He apparently showed signs of impairment and was later released to a responsible party, according to TMZ.
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Demarcus Robinson (15) makes a catch past Seattle Seahawks cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett (28) during the first half on Sunday in Seattle
Robinson was arrested in the early hours of November 25 on suspicion of drink-driving
Robinson played for the Rams in a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles soon after, when head coach Sean McVey declined to suspend the receiver, saying the incident “doesn’t make him a bad person.”
“I appreciated his ability to acknowledge it to the team without downplaying or undermining the seriousness of what could have happened,” McVay said at the time. “And I trust he’s going to learn from it and I think it’s going to be a good learning opportunity for our old football team. And so we continue.’
Robinson has since apologized to his teammates for the incident.
“I don’t want to bring that kind of light or any kind of negative energy to the team,” Robinson said. “I just told him that I sincerely apologize to him, the team and the entire organization for even putting myself and the organization in such a situation.”
Robinson began his NFL career in 2016, when the Kansas City Chiefs drafted him in the fourth round.
He stayed in Kansas City until 2021, joining the Baltimore Ravens via the Las Vegas Raiders, where he played in just two preseason games.
After a year in Baltimore, the Rams signed Robinson and in February of this year he re-signed with Sean McVay’s team on a one-year, $5 million deal.
Earlier this season, he was linked with a return to the Chiefs and a reunion with Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes when Kansas City had a backlog of injuries at the wide receiver position.
NFL insider Adam Schefter said Robinson would be a smart addition to the team chasing its third straight Super Bowl title because of his familiarity with the way Andy Reid’s teams operate.
“I think in a perfect world it would be someone like Demarcus Robinson, [a player] who knows the system and knows the quarterback,” Schefter said in October.
The Chiefs ultimately traded for DeAndre Hopkins from the Tennessee Titans.
Robinson and the Rams are preparing to host the Minnesota Vikings in the Wild Card round on Monday after the game was moved from fire-ravaged Los Angeles to the Cardinals stadium in Glendale, Arizona.