The Raiders cut Henry Ruggs on Tuesday night. The team announced the transaction, which comes shortly after the second-year wide receiver was arrested for his role in a fatal car accident Tuesday morning.
Ruggs is facing two felony charges for an accident that left a woman dead. Las Vegas police say that Ruggs was impaired when his Corvette crashed into another car and killed the driver of the other vehicle. The accident occurred just before 4am in a residential neighborhood west of the Las Vegas Strip. Ruggs and a passenger in his vehicle were hospitalized. Upon being released from a Las Vegas-area hospital Tuesday, Ruggs was booked at the Clark County Detention Center.
Authorities identified the victim as a 23-year-old woman. The collision caused the victim’s vehicle to burst into flames, killing the woman and her dog, according to ESPN.com. Ruggs faces charges of DUI resulting in death and reckless driving. The first charge carries a possible sentence of two to 20 years in prison. The second runs from probation to six years. Ruggs, 22, is due to appear in court Wednesday.
Ruggs and a female passenger in his Corvette suffered non-life-threatening injuries. The woman who was in Ruggs’ car remains hospitalized. Raiders players returned to the team’s Henderson, Nev., facility Monday, after their bye week, but had another day off Tuesday, according to ESPN.
Although players hit with felony charges are eligible for the commissioner’s exempt list, which keeps those players on teams’ rosters while legal matters play out, the Raiders acted swiftly to move on from Ruggs. This marks an abrupt end to Ruggs’ Raiders tenure, and the former Alabama standout’s NFL career is obviously in serious jeopardy. Ruggs will head to waivers, though that will almost certainly be irrelevant here. The Raiders have a clear path to voiding the remaining guarantees in Ruggs’ four-year, $16.67MM rookie contract. Ruggs’ deal was fully guaranteed.
Some Raiders staffers preferred Ruggs’ Alabama teammate, Jerry Jeudy in last year’s first round, but the team made Ruggs the first receiver drafted in 2020. Las Vegas drafted Ruggs with the 12th overall pick. The deep threat struggled as a rookie, catching 26 passes for 452 yards in 13 games. Ruggs had shown improvement to become a more consistent part of Las Vegas’ offense this season, having made 24 receptions for 469 yards and two touchdowns through seven games.
Las Vegas has fellow homegrown wideouts Hunter Renfrow and Bryan Edwards signed beyond 2021, with Darren Waller under c contract beyond this season as well. As of now, Zay Jones is set to step into Ruggs’ starting position, Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal notes. The Ruggs exit certainly leaves a void in the AFC West-leading team’s passing attack, but Renfrow, Waller and Edwards each have posted yardage totals north of 300 this season. Ruggs exited Week 7 as the team’s leading receiver, however.
Don’t let the door hit ya where the good lord split ya!
Not good at all.
So sad. Many lives ruined by this. Prayers for all involved, including Ruggs.
No sense in dragging him y’all. He made a fatal mistake and hes paying for it. I feel for the families on both sides. I hope he can be strong with what is to come.
How can you not drag him? He literally killed a person because of his negligence. It’s so easy to say it was just a mistake when you never even met the person he killed
donte stallworth dui manslaughter. ordered 30 days in jail and spent only 24. made it back to the league for a few more seasons and helps inform awareness to new players now.
Thanks for reminding us of another scumbag, one who lied and then victim blamed some regular Joe walking from work.
Laws are different that was in Florida this was in Nevada
Terrible
just senseless. a senseless thing to do. so easy not to drink and drive and yet it’s done anyways.
he should get life in jail due to taking a life in which he decided to drink and drive. but he at the very least get the max allowed in that state . there is NO excuse for driving drunk Zero.
Who said he was drunk? I suspect drugs.
What’s the difference? He shouldn’t have been driving and a woman is dead due to his stupidity.
They really need to set an example with him so that maybe sports athletes will realize they are not untouchable. Between him, Bauer, and Watson sports are looking really bad
I wonder if the lions will sign him
He was driving a Vette and hit the poor woman in a RAV4 so I’m curious at what speed he was going at impact to cause it to burst into flames.
What a horrible thing to happen. First, thoughts and prayers to all those impacted by this horrible tragedy. Secondly, I don’t think it is appropriate to label this young man a psychopath. He’s 22 years old. He made a terrible mistake that is inexcusable considering the resources at hand. But how many of you have been 22, rich, and living in Las Vegas? I’m not defending him, just starting conversation. I think the bigger question (as far as this site goes), is this going to be a problem going forward with a franchise in Vegas.
Hope he never plays another down in the nfl ever again and his already earned millions goes to the victims family and he’s forced to work a regular job rest of his life. Kudos to the raiders for doing the right thing.
I hope he gets charges for the killing the dog too, not just the young woman.
All dogs go to heaven.
This story brought to mind the son of Andy Reid. What happened with him?
I feel like no one listens when they were told nothing good happens after 2 AM. He’ll, not much happens after midnight when you’re out. Ruined his life and others lives for what? Some booze/weed/whatever he was on? Taxi, Uber, or DD if you’re going to live that nightlife way. Don’t even drive to the venue don’t give yourself the option of making a bad decision. Just dumb and it’s tragic for the victim and their family.
God bless the victims and all close to them…
Still awaiting full charges for Riggs, to include sex while driving. That’s in addition to vehicular manslaughter and alcohol/driving relateds.