NFL Star KaVontae Turpin Arrested in Texas for Weapon and Drug Charges

NEED TO KNOW

• NFL star KaVontae Turpin was arrested in Allen, Texas, on July 5 and charged with unlawful carrying of a weapon and possession of marijuana
• The Dallas Cowboys return specialist was released from jail on July 6 after posting a bond of $1,500
• Turpin was previously dismissed from Texas Christian University (TCU) in 2018 over assault charges

KaVontae Turpin was arrested in Texas.

The Dallas Cowboys wide receiver, 28, was arrested in the city of Allen on Saturday, July 5, on misdemeanor weapon and drug charges, and booked into the Collin County Jail, according to CBS News and ESPN.

Turpin was charged with unlawful carrying of a weapon and possession of marijuana, the outlets reported. He allegedly was in possession of less than 2 oz. of marijuana, according to ESPN.

The Cowboys return specialist was released from jail on Sunday, July 6, according to court records viewed by PEOPLE. 

The NFL star was released from custody after posting a bond of $1,500. (Cowboys insider Mike Fisher reported on X that the wide receiver’s bond was set at $500 for the marijuana charge and $1,000 for the unlawful weapon charge.)

Turpin’s manager, Rey Jay Soto, and the Allen Police Department (APD) did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s requests for comment.

In March, Turpin — who first joined the Cowboys in 2022 — decided to stick with the Texas team a bit longer, signing a three-year, $18 million contract, according to DallasCowboys.com. The deal made him the highest-paid special teams player in the NFL.

The Cowboys announced the re-signing news in a joint post with Turpin on Instagram at the time. “The fastest player in the NFL is staying in Dallas ⭐️,” the team wrote.

In the 2024 season, Turpin led the NFL in kick return average at 33.5 yards, per ESPN.

According to CBS Sports, the return specialist also led the league in return yards, returning 27 kicks for 904 yards, plus 18 punt returns for 187 yards. Turpin also had a great season as a wide receiver, catching 31 passes for a total of 420 yards, and played in his second NFL Pro Bowl, per the outlet.

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Before the Cowboys signed him in 2022, Turpin played college football for Texas Christian University (TCU) in Fort Worth, but the school cut ties with him in the fall of 2018 after he was accused of assaulting his girlfriend, NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth previously reported.

In 2019, Turpin pleaded guilty to assault charges for an October 2018 incident involving his longtime girlfriend, NBC 5 reported at the time. He was sentenced to two years of deferred adjudication probation and a 27-week abuse intervention program, per the outlet.

The athlete had previously been arrested in New Mexico in March 2018 for another alleged assault, which included a battery charge, NBC 5 reported. Turpin pleaded not guilty to the battery charge, ESPN reported at the time.

TCU’s head coach said the team dismissed Turpin after they learned about his October 2018 arrest, per NBC 5.

During an early appearance at Cowboys training camp, Turpin told reporters he “got to learn from my accountability, my consequences,” and was “just looking forward to becoming a greater man now,” per NBC 5.

Read the original article on People