NFL Network ‘parts ways’ with Willie McGinest, four months after assault at L.A. nightclub
NFL Network ‘is parting ways’ with Patriots legend Willie McGinest, four months after Los Angeles nightclub assault, as cuts to league-owned network mount
NFL Network has decided to ‘part ways’ with one of its analysts, Willie McGinest, four months after the Patriots legend attacked a man in a Los Angeles nightclub.
Before his firing Thursday, McGinest, 51, had been suspended indefinitely by the network for starting a fight at a West Hollywood nightclub called Delilah on Dec. 9.
However, according to receiving sportsThe firing of the three-time Super Bowl champion was part of the recent wave of layoffs from NFL Network that also saw host Rachel Bonnetta, columnist Jim Trotter and reporter Mike Giardi get fired.
DailyMail.com has reached out to NFL Network for comment.
McGinest will be less inclined to worry about his firing than about the two felony charges he faces in the case from four months ago. The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office charged the former linebacker with one count of assault with a deadly weapon and one count of assault by force likely to cause serious bodily injury.
Former NFL linebacker Willie McGinest was kicked off the NFL Network on Thursday
The 51-year-old was inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame in 2015 after winning three Super Bowls.
Each charge carries up to four years in prison. McGinest’s arraignment is set for April, according to TMZ.
McGinest was arrested in connection with the December 9 incident and turned himself in on December 19, according to Fox.
TMZ obtained video that allegedly shows McGinest and other men approaching a man sitting in a booth. In the footage, McGinest punches the victim before the other attackers take their turn. McGinest is also accused of smashing the victim’s head in with a bottle.
McGinest posted $30,000 bail and was released.
McGinest later apologized for the incident on social media.
Street view of the Delilah nightclub in West Hollywood, LA, where the alleged assault took place
McGinest, who played with the Patriots from 1994 to 2005, faces up to eight years in prison for the two felony counts he faces in the criminal case.
“First off, I want to offer my deepest apologies for my misjudgment and behavior on December 9th at a restaurant in West Hollywood,” McGinest posted on Instagram later in December. “To my family, community, friends, and the youth I mentored, please know that I feel horrible for my actions and take full responsibility.”
McGinest, 51, played the first 12 seasons of his 15-year NFL career with the Patriots and was part of three Super Bowl-winning teams. He was a Pro Bowl selection in 1996 and 2003 and ranks second in Patriots history with 78 sacks.
In 15 seasons with the Patriots (1994-2005) and Browns (2006-08), McGinest played in 212 games (184 starts) and recorded 804 tackles and 86 sacks, as well as a league-high 16 postseason sacks.