Getty Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Willie Gay Jr.
Following Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Willie Gay’s arrest leading up to the Chiefs’ Divisional Round matchup against the Buffalo Bills, head coach Andy Reid has made a decision on whether Gay will play in the team’s next playoff game.
Reid announced during his press conference on Friday, January 21, that Gay will play against Buffalo. It was a decision that Reid said he himself made.
“I decided he’d play. I’m not going to get into the conversations. I’m not going to do that. I decided that after just hearing some of the information that I heard,” Reid explained.
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Gay Arrested in Overland Park, Kansas
Gay, 23, was arrested on Wednesday, January 19, 2022, in Overland Park, Kansas, in a misdemeanor criminal damage case, according to KCTV5 News. Records from the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office show the second-year linebacker was arrested around 10:30 p.m. Central time and processed through the county’s central booking facility in Olathe just after midnight on January 20. According to court records, no bond was set and he was scheduled for arraignment at 2:30 p.m. the same day.
Gay is accused of property damage “to a vacuum, cell phone screen, wall/door frame and a humidifier,” according to Sam McDowell of the Kansas City Star, who obtained the Overland Park police department offense report.
There were no drugs, alcohol or weapon involved in the incident Wednesday night, according to the Overland Park Police Department offense report.
McDowell also reported that, according to police, “there were no drugs, alcohol or weapon” involved in the incident.
Gay was at his son’s house and got into an argument with his son’s mother, according to Gay’s agent, Maxx Lepselter, who released a statement to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport. Lepselter told Rapoport he believes the situation could be “resolved shortly,” as early as Thursday.
From NFL Now: #Chiefs LB Willie Gay was arrested and charged with misdemeanor criminal property damage after breaking a vacuum.
Gay Pleads Not Guilty to Misdemeanor
During his court appearance on Thursday, Gay pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor property damage, according to McDowell.
Chiefs linebacker Willie Gay pleaded not guilty at his court appearance today, via Zoom.
Gay was released from custody around 5:30 p.m. ET the same day after posting a $1,000 bond, per the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office records.
The mother of Gay’s child filed civil paperwork in Johnson County court on Friday, petitioning for a protection order against Gay, according to Rob Collins of Fox4 Kansas City.
The mom of Willie Gay’s child filed civil paperwork in Johnson County court Friday petitioning for a protection order against him.
Spags on Gay’s Situation
While on injured reserve to start the 2021-22 regular season, Gay posted a Tweet sharing the fact that he was struggling with his mental health.
“I love you all just know my mental health is F’d up,” Gay wrote on October 8.
While Gay did return to the Chiefs’ lineup for Kansas City’s first matchup against the Bills on October 10, one has to wonder if Gay is still being impacted by his mental health, which led to his arrest on January 19.
Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo was asked if there was a connection between the two.
“I wasn’t aware of what you’re talking about there, but all I can say about Willie is I love working with him. He’s been terrific,” Spags said during his press conference on Thursday, January 20. “Man, I think you guys know he had a baby, and I talk to him about that a lot. Hopefully, things will work out for the best for everybody.”
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Andy Reid Makes Final Decision on LB Willie Gay’s Availability vs. Bills