Report: Former Vikings First-Round Pick Jeff Gladney Signing With Arizona Cardinals

Gladney was released by the Vikings last year after being indicted but was recently found not guilty.

Former Vikings first-round pick Jeff Gladney is reportedly signing with the Cardinals, according to Jordan Schultz. He visited with them this week and will now make his return to the NFL after spending a year away from the game while his legal situation was resolved. 

Gladney was selected 31st overall by the Vikings out of TCU in 2020. Minnesota landed Justin Jefferson at 22, then traded back from 25 and got Gladney, a cornerback who they were really excited about. They viewed him as someone who could play inside and outside, make plays on the ball, and be a physical presence against the run.

After an inconsistent rookie season, the Vikings were hoping Gladney would take a second-year leap. Instead, they released him in August after he was indicted on two felony domestic assault charges stemming from an incident with a female partner in April. The allegations against him were both shocking and disturbing.

But the legal process has to play out, and last week, Gladney was found not guilty by a Dallas jury. That cleared him to return to the NFL, and now he's apparently headed to Arizona to play for defensive coordinator Vance Joseph.

Should the Vikings have handled things differently? It made sense for them to release Gladney at the time given the severity of the allegations and the fact that he was indicted, but they also could've kept him and waited for him to go on the commissioner's exempt list or something along those lines.

It'll be interesting to see how the 25-year-old fares this season after a rough rookie year and a full season away from the field.

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