Despite a high cap number and two 2021 arrests on gun charges, Frank Clark managed to stick around with the Chiefs this year. But the veteran defensive end will be forced out of the picture for a stretch.
The NFL handed Clark a two-game suspension Tuesday, Adam Teicher of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). The personal conduct policy ban will sideline the Chiefs’ top edge rusher for matchups against the Titans and Jaguars. Those games come after Kansas City’s Week 8 bye. No appeal will take place, Mark Maske of the Washington Post tweets.
Clark, who agreed to a reworked contract to stay with the Chiefs in March, has faced NFL punishment for over a year. Both his aforementioned arrests came during the 2021 offseason. While Clark resolved those criminal issues in September, the league still acted here.
In March 2021, the three-time Pro Bowler was arrested for possession of a concealed firearm. In June 2021, he was arrested again when police officers conducted a traffic stop and noticed an Uzi in an open bag in Clark’s vehicle. Clark pleaded no contest to two counts of misdemeanor possession of an assault weapon, and he was sentenced to one year of probation and 40 hours of community service. Although a Clark domestic violence incident at Michigan led to his dismissal from the Wolverines in 2014, this is the veteran pass rusher’s first NFL suspension.
While Clark was not especially consistent during his first three seasons as a Chief, the team brought its 2019 trade acquisition back for a fourth year by redoing his deal. The former Seahawks second-rounder is now attached to a two-year, $29MM agreement. This suspension would allow the Chiefs to void guarantees, but no guaranteed money remains on Clark’s deal beyond 2022.
This season, Clark has three sacks — including a Week 7 safety in the Chiefs’ rout of the 49ers — to lead Kansas City edge rushers. Although the team added Carlos Dunlap and drafted George Karlaftis in Round 1, Clark’s top sidekicks have combined for two sacks (both Dunlap’s). More will be on Dunlap and Karlaftis’ shoulders when the AFC West-leading team returns from its bye, though the Chiefs still have defensive tackle Chris Jones (five sacks) anchoring their pass rush.
Thankfully our next two games are at home against Tennessee and Jacksonville. Our “rapid-fire” offense should be able to carry this team past these two teams.
Was just reading Brad Spielberger’s suggestion earlier that the Chiefs would be a Robert Quinn trade fit. Certainly doesn’t make any less sense now.
Ok, so getting arrested TWICE for illegal fire arms is 2 games – but wrecking a vacuum cleaner is 4? Makes sense to me NFL.
Said nobody ever.
Consistency does not seem to be of concern to the NFL. They can’t agree on what’s roughing the passer, pass interference, or taunting—no surprise they can’t be consistent on things of weightier consequence.
There is probably a hack on You-Tube that shows how a vacuum cleaner can be converted to a mortar tube…hence the 4 games.
So he was able to play against teams they knew the Chiefs would need him for then suspend him against teams they know they won’t need him for. Funny how that works. And for only 2 games lol. This league is a joke and so clear to me that it is rigged. They do anything they can protect certain players and the teams those players are on particularly Mahomes and the Chiefs for the time being.
I was thinking the same thing. It isn’t like these are new wrongdoings. These were from over a year ago. Should’ve just been suspended the first two weeks of the season not wait until halfway through the season.
While not endorsing the constant stream of criminal Chief behavior, I do appreciate his 80’s throwback choice of gun.
Da Uzi Nine Millimeter
Constant criminal Chiefs behavior ? i.e. ?