Joseph Randle is dealing with a lot off the field ,and the stress of losing his starting running back spot to Darren McFadden may be overwhelming the young man.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, Randle’s behavior has been erratic over the past few days, boiling over into a phone call to police to check on his girlfriend, after Randle admitted to authorities that he was paranoid.
“Cowboys running back Joseph Randle was deemed to have violated the NFL’s personal-conduct policy for a recent arrest in Wichita, Kansas. He received the report (Wednesday), which was part of the reason he exited the Cowboys facility. The charges were dropped, but the league kept investigating. He faces a one- or two-game suspension (not a six-game suspension because it’s not domestic violence related), or he could be potentially fined. The main offense is firearm related. The NFL and NFL Players Association are in discussions now about a potential settlement to Randle’s issue.”
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said on KRLD-FM in Dallas-Fort Worth that the NFL is reviewing Randle’s case Friday but that it was premature to talk about the running back’s roster spot. Randle is excused from the team and will be inactive for Sunday’s game against the Seahawks as he deals with a personal issue. It’s unclear when he will return, and there’s no guarantee he will play Nov. 8 against the Eagles, people informed of the situation told Rapoport.
News of Randle’s potential punishment comes just hours after he placed a call into Irving, Texas, police on Wednesday to perform a well-being check on his girlfriend. Irving Police Public Information Officer James McLellan told NFL.com that officers arrived at Randle’s home to perform the check at 12:41 p.m. CT, but found nothing wrong when they entered the residence. He said they believed Randle’s girlfriend was at school and there was no indication of a break-in or any other crime. Police cleared the scene without writing a report since there was no wrongdoing, McLellan added.
Randle told a police spokesman he was paranoid, which is why he called and asked them to check on his house, people informed of the situation told Rapoport. Randle was emotionally distraught at the team facility the day he was demoted in favor of new starter Darren McFadden, and the Cowboys are concerned about his personal and mental well-being, according to Rapoport. They want to make sure he’s in a good state before he returns, according to Rapoport.
In February, Randle was arrested for unlawful possession of marijuana in Wichita after a dispute with the mother of his child.