Raiders tackle Donald Penn will not face charges stemming from an incident with his wife in late April, according to TMZ. It was reported that Penn slapped his wife’s behind and poured a drink on her head, but the two later issued a joint statement downplaying the incident.
“The office rejected this case because of lack of corroboration and on the ground that there is no reasonable likelihood of conviction on the domestic violence matter,” an L.A. City Attorney’s Office spokesperson told TMZ. “Bottom line, lack of sufficient evidence.”
Of course, Penn isn’t necessarily out of the woods in terms of league discipline. Per the terms of the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement, the league office reserves the right to suspend and/or fine players for improper off-the-field activity, even when charges are not pursued.
Still, the odds of a suspension have dramatically decreased with the news. In all likelihood, the Raiders will have Penn in the lineup when they open the season on Sept. 10 against the Rams.
Penn has started in all but four of his career games with the Bucs and Raiders and he did not miss a game until last year when he was sidelined with a foot injury. Despite the late-season malady, he earned his third career Pro Bowl nod.
Last year, Penn graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 23 ranked tackle in the NFL. In 2016, he ranked as the 12th best tackle in the league.
I always thought drinking and slapping girls butts was a quality Friday night?