Brandon Pettigrew Arrested for Public Drunkenness
Brandon Pettigrew missed the entire season with a knee injury
Hours before the New England Patriots clinched one of the greatest Super Bowl comebacks in history, the first arrest of the NFL offseason came across the wire.
Former Detroit Lions tight end Brandon Pettigrew was arrested in the wee hours on Sunday morning outside an Oklahoma bar. The 31-year-old was charged with public drunkenness and disorderly conduct, and released Sunday evening.
Pettigrew, a former first-round pick of the Lions, spent the majority of the 2016 season on the physically unable to perform list as he recovered from a torn ACL. Detroit officially waived him in December, and the veteran finished the season unclaimed.
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Drafted with the 20th overall pick in 2009 out of Oklahoma State, Pettigrew developed primarily into a blocking tight end. When Detroit drafted Eric Ebron with the 10th overall pick in 2014 Pettigrew’s role in the offense diminished even more.
Over 93 career games in the NFL Pettigrew recorded 17 touchdowns and nearly 3,000 yards receiving. In 2011 he finished eighth in the league with 83 catches.
Whether or not Pettigrew faces any punishment from the NFL is yet to be seen. Even without a suspension of some form, the chances of another team signing Pettigrew are slim. Very few teams will take a chance on an aging tight end coming off an ACL injury who is not known as a receiver.
If unsigned early in the offseason Pettigrew could apply to join the recently implemented spring league to show he is healthy and ready to play.