Aug. 3 (UPI) -- The Minnesota Vikings released second-year cornerback Jeff Gladney on Tuesday after a Texas grand jury indicted him on a charge of felony assault against a woman he was previously in a relationship with.
"Following our review of today's indictment against Jeff Gladney, we have decided to release Jeff immediately," the team said in a statement. "As we have previously said, we take these matters very seriously and condemn all forms of domestic violence.
"Due to the ongoing legal nature of this matter, we are unable to provide further comment."
The 24-year-old Gladney, who was the Vikings' first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft out of TCU, started 15 games for the team as a rookie. He hadn't been around the franchise since his April arrest in Dallas.
The indictment states that Gladney "intentionally, knowingly and recklessly" caused bodily injury to the woman and impeded her breathing by applying pressure to her neck and throat.
The altercation stemmed from an argument and occurred over a span of more than two hours, according to a lawsuit recently filed by the former girlfriend against Gladney. She also alleged that Gladney attempted to bribe and intimidate her to remain quiet.
No court date has been scheduled yet. If Gladney is convicted, he could serve up to 10 years in prison.
Earlier Tuesday, Vikings owner and president Mark Wilf called the accusations against Gladney "very disturbing and something that's concerning to us as ownership and to our organization."
NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy said in a news release the league office "will continue to review this serious and concerning matter under the personal conduct policy."
Gladney now becomes an unrestricted free agent after his release. If another club were to sign him, he could be placed on the commissioner's exempt list while the case against him moves toward completion.