On Monday, newly-acquired Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Michael Bennett made an appearance in a Texas courtroom with his attorney Rusty Hardin present, according to a report today from NBC 10 Philadelphia.
“My initial reaction is that everyone needs to calm down a little bit,” Hardin said. “He's a professional football player who is very respected for his work on social issues. I'm going to take my time to find out what occurred.”
Bennett was indicted over the weekend by a Harris County, Texas, grand jury for a felony charge of “injury to the elderly, included intentionally and knowingly, causing bodily injury to a person 65 years or older” and reportedly had his bail set on Monday to $10,000.
This stems from an incident during Super Bowl 51 in which his brother Martellus was playing for the New England Patriots. Michael allegedly injured a 66-year-old paraplegic woman who was working security at NRG Stadium while he was trying to access the field after the Pats' victory over the Atlanta Falcons.
If convicted on these felony charges, Bennett could face up to 10 years in prison and have to pay a fine of $10,000.
A league source told NBC Sports Philadelphia's Derrick Gunn that neither the Eagles nor Bennett's former team, the Seattle Seahawks, had any prior knowledge about the incident before he was traded to Philly this offseason.
More details about this story will be posted regarding Bennett's case as soon as they become available. Bennett's future with the Eagles, as well as the NFL in general, is completely up in the air at this point.
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