Bears defensive lineman Ray McDonald is about to have his character assassinated all over again.
McDonald, who became a lightning rod for controversy following a domestic violence accusation last year and later was abruptly cut following a separate accusation of sexual assault, has been arrested, according to Damian Trujillo of NBC Bay Area.
Per Trujillo, the new allegation is domestic violence and “possible child endangerment.”
The NFL previously has cleared McDonald of potential Personal Conduct Policy violations arising from the first 2014 incident. McDonald has said he will sue his accuser from the second incident, claiming that footage from his home surveillance system shows that their sexual encounter was “clearly consensual.”
“I had two incidents [in which] I feel like I didn’t do anything wrong, but still it’s in the spotlight,” McDonald said last month. “It was in the national spotlight for quite some time. I’m just trying to move forward from it.”
The 49ers absorbed plenty of criticism for not suspending McDonald pending the resolution of the initial incident from August 2014; this time around, the allegation could result in placement of McDonald on the Commissioner Exempt list, given the NFL’s new approach to accusations of violent crime. McDonald would be paid his base salary, but he’d be prevented from practicing or playing.
The suspension won’t matter if the Bears decide to sever ties with McDonald. Owner George McCaskey has said he initially didn’t want to sign McDonald based on his history. but McCaskey deferred to G.M. Ryan Pace.
For Pace, the incident becomes the first blemish on his record as the architect of the team’s football operation. What Pace does next will likely be a factor in whether the blemish becomes a scar.