Cleveland Browns: Malik McDowell may have just burnt his final chance

Malik McDowell was the feel-good story of the year for the Cleveland Browns after returning to the NFL but he’s once again in hot water

In 2021, the Cleveland Browns took a chance on Malik McDowell, an incredibly gifted athlete who had not played football since 2016.

A second-round pick of the Seattle Seahawks, McDowell was in an ATV accident before ever playing in a regular-season game. Then, he had several off-field incidents including an arrest that led to an 11-month jail sentence back in 2019.

McDowell finally seemed to have things back on track as he not only made the Browns roster, but was a surprise starter for them. He finished the season with 33 tackles and three sacks, providing a spark in the middle of the line.

However, not long after their season ended, the Browns defensive tackle finds himself in trouble again. Reports surfaced early on Tuesday that McDowell was arrested in Florida and allegedly assaulted an officer in the process.

These are some ugly allegations and the team issued a statement saying they are aware of the situation and “gathering information.”

What this means for Malik McDowell’s future with the Cleveland Browns

Should the accusations prove to be true, it seems it would surely spell the end of the line for Malik McDowell. He signed a one-year deal with the Browns last offseason and while he made good on that contract, there’s no way general manager Andrew Berry will go back out on a limb for a guy who again finds himself on the wrong side of the law.

But what about the rest of the NFL?

That too could be a problem for McDowell. There wasn’t a long line of teams trying to sign him ahead of 2021 when he was trying to get back in the game, which made it seem as though his last shot at making it in the league would be with Cleveland.

If he now burnt that bridge, he could be out of chances in the league.