Ex-Chicago Bear Arrested in Miami

Garrett Wolfe was arrested on Saturday im Miami on counts of retail theft, assaulting a police officer, resisting an arrest with violence, and disorderly conduct. It apparently stemmed from a $1,600 tab he racked up at a Miami nightclub and then refused to pay. Officers were then called to the scene, and when Wolfe was given an opportunity to pay again, he not only refused, but became violent and charged the officers.

It will be interesting to see how this event will be handled by the league. Wolfe was not offered a contract by the Bears so once the lockout is over, he will be an unrestricted free agent. However, the league could have some sort of punishment waiting for Wolfe once he does return. Because of the lockout and because he is not technically an employee of a team, he cannot be punished until he signs a contract. However, this will likely be viewed as a violation of the personal conduct policy of the NFL, assuming that policy is not amended as part of a new collective bargaining agreement. Even though this is a relatively minor incident, it could serve as a crucial indicator of how new issues will be handled once football resumes, as one of the players sticking points in negotiations is their feeling that the commissioner has too much unilateral power under the current personal conduct policy.