Denver Broncos backup quarterback Chad Kelly was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of criminal trespass after a couple reported he came into their Englewood, Colo., house uninvited and sat down on their couch ‘‘mumbling incoherently,’’ according to court records.
General manager John Elway said the team was ‘‘very, very disappointed in Chad and the situation he put himself into’’ and suggested the Broncos were pondering Kelly’s future with the club.
Kelly attended a Halloween costume party hosted by Von Miller on Monday night that has long been a tradition for Broncos players and their significant others.
The Broncos were trying to figure out what happened after Kelly left the party.
Advertisement
‘‘We are in the process of getting all the facts and talking to Chad, and then we'll figure out exactly which direction we’re going to go,’’ Elway said on his weekly radio show. ‘‘When the team has a get-together, [it] is always a good thing. You like when they get together and the camaraderie that goes along with being a team. But when you have one person that kind of puts a dent in the whole process, it’s very disappointing.”
The 24-year-old Kelly posted $2,500 bond Tuesday and was released. He’s due back in court Wednesday.
Police and court records do not address Kelly’s physical state at the time, and there is no mention of testing for alcohol or substance use.
The Broncos chose Kelly with the final pick of the 2017 NFL draft. Although Kelly brought an attitude that had often crossed the line at the University of Mississippi, Elway said fellow Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly personally vouched for his nephew, so Elway signed off on the selection.
According to court records, a couple told police that a stranger came into their Englewood home after 1 a.m. The intruder sat down on the couch next to the woman, who was holding the couple’s young child, and was ‘‘mumbling incoherently,’’ according to the records.
Advertisement
The man yelled at the intruder to get out and hit him in the back with an aluminum tube from a vacuum. The homeowners showed police surveillance video of a man wearing dark pants, a white long sleeve shirt with a brown vest, and a red scarf around his neck entering the front door.
The homeowner told police he thought the door was locked but police found no signs that someone had forced their way inside.
Police said they found Kelly sitting inside a black SUV parked about a block from the couple’s home. Kelly matched the surveillance video footage and the man later identified him as the person who came into the house, according to court documents.
Police said officers made the arrest ‘‘without incident.’’
Kelly missed his rookie season while recovering from knee and wrist injuries, then beat out former first-round draft pick Paxton Lynch last summer to serve as the backup for starter Case Keenum.
Keenum signed a two-year, $36 million deal in March but is off to a middling start for the Broncos (3-4). He has eight touchdown passes and nine interceptions after throwing for 22 TDs with just seven interceptions last season in Minnesota, where he led the Vikings to the NFC championship.
Kelly has played just one snap, a kneel-down on the final play of the first half against the Rams two weeks ago while Keenum was being evaluated for a concussion.
Advertisement
The only other quarterback on the Broncos roster is Kevin Hogan, a third-year pro from Stanford who was awarded to Denver off waivers from Washington last month.
Kelly’s spectacular college career at Ole Miss was marked by off-field slip-ups, although he hadn’t been in any trouble since the Broncos drafted him.
He was kicked off the Clemson team in 2014 after arguing with coaches during the spring game. He also was arrested after a bar fight in 2014, eventually pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct.
In October 2016, he was involved in a brawl at his brother’s high school football game in New York. He ran onto the field after his brother, Casey Kelly, apparently took a late hit and video shows several coaches restraining him on the field.
Giants send other Eli to Saints
The Giants sent the other Eli, cornerback Eli Apple, to the Saints for a fourth-round pick in 2019 and a seventh-rounder in 2020.
Apple, who was the 10th overall picj in the 2016 draft out of Ohio State, recovered a fumble in the Giants’ 23-20 loss in Atlanta on Monday night.
The move marks the second time in a week the Giants (1-6) have parted ways with a recent first-round draft pick. Last week, they waived tackle Ereck Flowers, their 2015 top pick. He was signed by Jacksonville.
It also could be a sign the Giants, who were 3-13 last season, might deal more assets with the NFL trading deadline set for Oct. 30.
Advertisement
The Saints have struggled on pass defense all season. They are 5-1 and in first place in the NFC South in large part because of the play of Drew Brees and the offense.
New Orleans will face the Vikings on Sunday night in a matchup of first-place teams.
Apple had a bad year in 2017 and was called a cancer by safety Landon Collins because of his attitude. He was inactive for four games and suspended for the season finale.
Jets add Matthews
The Jets have some much-needed help for their banged-up receiving group. They signed free agent wide receiver Rishard Matthews, who was released by Tennessee last month after requesting the move because he felt he was being underused. He had three catches for 11 yards in three games.
The Jets were shorthanded at receiver because Quincy Enunwa, who has a team-leading 22 catches, is out a few weeks with a sprained ankle. Terrelle Pryor was also released last Saturday with an injury settlement because of a groin tear.
To make room for the 29-year-old Matthews on the roster Tuesday, New York placed safety Doug Middleton on injured reserve after he tore a pectoral muscle Sunday in the Jets’ game against Minnesota.
Matthews signed a one-year contract extension with the Titans in August after leading them with 1,740 yards receiving and 13 touchdowns combined over the past two seasons. He missed organized team activities, minicamp in June, training camp, and Tennessee’s first three preseason games with an undisclosed injury before being activated from the physically unable to perform list before the regular season.
Advertisement
Falcons lose G Fusco
Falcons right guard Brandon Fusco will miss the remainder of the season after suffering a broken right ankle in the second quarter of Monday night’s win over the Giants.
The Falcons already have lost a starting guard, Andy Levitre, to a season-ending arm injury. Three defensive starters — safeties Keanu Neal and Ricardo Allen and linebacker Deion Jones — are on injured reserve. Jones may return from his foot injury this season.
Running back Devonta Freeman also is on IR with a groin injury.
Chiefs’ line takes hits
The Chiefs placed offensive lineman Jordan Devey (pectoral) and linebacker Terrance Smith (knee) on injured reserve as part of a series of roster moves. The Chiefs also promoted center James Murray and tight end Deon Yelder to the 53-man roster and signed offensive tackle Pace Murphy and linebacker Raymond Davison to the practice squad. The Chiefs are already without center Mitch Morse (concussion) and right guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif (broken leg) . . . Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen is returning to the team after being out for the past month for a mental health evaluation. The Vikings say Griffen will resume team activities Wednesday. Griffen, a three-time Pro Bowler, left the team in late September after a series of events that included a welfare check at a hospital. A police report described erratic behavior that included a threat of violence at a downtown Minneapolis hotel and a text message to his wife referencing suicide . . . The Raiders signed kicker Daniel Carlson and waived Matt McCrane. Oakland also promoted receiver Marcell Ateman and offensive lineman Denver Kirkland from the practice squad to fill open spots on the 53-man roster.