Browns defensive end arrested for drunk driving after car crash

The weeks between the end of mandatory minicamp and the start of training camp are some of the most tense for NFL teams every summer. With players allowed to be away from football for more than a month before the season begins, people within the organization are hoping they stay out of trouble.

Apparently it will not be a problem-free summer for the The Cleveland Browns. Second-year defensive end Lonnie Phelps was arrested on Wednesday night and charged with drunken driving and criminal damage after driving his vehicle into an upscale restaurant called the Red Shoe Island Bistro in Key West, Florida.

The police report states that he did not cooperate with arresting officers and, among other things, refused to take a breathalyzer test to determine how much alcohol he had consumed. His arraignment is scheduled for July 2.

Pictures from the scene were shared online by TMZ and show Phelps’ vehicle protruding from the restaurant he collided with. Damage is reportedly estimated at over $300,000. The police report states that the 23-year-old did not know what he collided with and asked police officers to tell him.

According to Cleveland.com, a team spokesperson stated that the team is aware of the incident but is awaiting further information and cannot provide an official comment at this time.

Phelps signed with the Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2023 and spent most of the season on the team’s practice squad. Earlier in the offseason, he signed a one-year, $795,000 contract with the Browns to remain with the club through 2024.

Phelps was a standout defensive lineman at the University of Kansas from 2019 to 2022. In his final two seasons with the Jayhawks, he collected 16.5 sacks and 23 tackles for loss.

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