NFL Team Signs Super Bowl Champ Facing 25 Years in Prison for Insider Trading - Report

By Ross Kelly September 14, 2018 at 11:05am

One week after pleading guilty to charges of insider trading, free agent linebacker Mychal Kendricks has agreed to a one-year deal with the Seattle Seahawks, ESPN reported Friday.

Kendricks faces up to 25 years in prison for the charges, but Adam Schefter says that based on federal guidelines, Kendricks will likely receive between 30 and 37 months of jail time.

He will be sentenced Jan. 24, 2019 — 10 days before the Super Bowl — but he is free to play until then or until the NFL makes a ruling on his case. Kendricks is expected to be active during the Seahawks’ Monday night game vs. the Bears.

The NFL could suspend Kendricks since he has entered a guilty plea, but for now he is free to play in games.

“The matter is under review,” the NFL said Thursday night regarding Kendricks. “He is currently permitted to sign and participate in activities including games.”

From @NFLprguy on soon-to-be #Seahawks LB Mychal Kendricks, who is awaiting federal sentencing: “The matter is under review. He is currently permitted to sign and participate in activities including games.”

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 14, 2018

A starter for the Super Bowl champion Eagles last season, Kendricks requested a trade but Philadelphia could not find a suitable partner.

The team cut him in May, and one month later he signed with the Cleveland Browns on a one-year deal. Kendricks reportedly told the Browns of his legal situation but didn’t tell them all of the facts, and they released him the same day the charges were announced.

Kendricks hasn’t spoken out on the charges levied against him other than a statement Aug. 29.

Should the NFL have suspended Kendricks as soon as he pleaded guilty?

“I sincerely apologize to my coaches, the owners, and my teammates on the Eagles and the Browns, the NFL, and the magnificent fans to whom I owe my career,” he said. “I also apologize to my family, who I have failed in this. You all deserve better …”

The Seahawks reportedly were the only known team Kendricks visited since being released. He apparently convinced them that he can put his legal situation to the side and just focus on football, as he was signed on the same day he visited the team.

Seattle has a hole at linebacker with starter K.J. Wright still recovering from preseason knee surgery. Wright missed Week 1 and is not expected to play in Week 2.

“He’s running today,” coach Pete Carroll said of Wright. “He felt pretty good. We’ll see how he goes. He’s going day-to-day. He ran yesterday, and he’s working out again today so — he hasn’t done that yet, but he’s making progress. He’s feeling pretty good.”

Additionally, middle linebacker Bobby Wagner did not practice Thursday with a groin injury. Wagner was drafted with the 47th pick in the 2012 draft, one spot after Philadelphia selected Kendricks.

With Seattle banged up at linebacker, one-handed rookie Shaquem Griffin got the start in Week 1 but found himself out of position a few times in the loss to the Broncos.

“It’s a difficult transition that he’s making,” Carroll said of Griffin. “It’s a lot to do in a short amount of time. [Denver] had a nice offense, they did some nice stuff and he wasn’t quite where he wanted to be at times.

“So we’ll just keep going. We’ll find out during the week how the guys play and how they do and how practice goes, and we’ll see what we’re going to do about play time.”

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