MEAWW.COM / NEWS / HUMAN INTEREST

Raiders AXE Henry Ruggs: Fans ask if it was necessary, others call for total NFL ban

Las Vegas Raiders announce the axing of Ruggs hours after he's charged for DUI and killing a woman, internet divided over the move

The day just seems to get worse and worse for Henry Ruggs. The wide receiver was involved in a deadly crash early on November 2, which has ended with him and his girlfriend in the hospital, and two felony charges. Now, it appears the Raiders want nothing to do with the player, who was their 12th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. As of 9:00 PM, Ruggs is no longer a Raiders player, with the team announcing they have axed him.

The shocking accident, which killed one woman driver has led to Ruggs being slapped with felony charges in absentia since he is still in the hospital receiving treatment. As we previously reported, he's sought the help of David Chesnoff, the celebrity defense attorney with a list of names including Britney Spears, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Mike Tyson amongst them. Shortly after the crash, the Raiders and NFL issued brief statements mourning the woman's death, but it appears that the team is doing more than that.

At around 9.00 pm on November 2, the Raiders put out a brief tweet saying, "The Las Vegas Raiders have released WR Henry Ruggs III." Unlike their condolence tweet, there was no graphic, just a simple 1-liner announcing the axing of Ruggs. On their website too, the team has simply uploaded the tweet without offering any additional comment. With the timing, it's almost certain that it was in reaction to Ruggs' charges. 

Things don't look so good for the wide receiver now. Not only is he unemployed, but he's also facing a likely long court battle if he doesn't plead guilty. Ruggs is due in court first thing on November 3 morning, so we'll know very soon which way he decided to plead. Reportedly, police found Ruggs showing "signs of impairment" at the scene of the crash, which led to the DUI charge. It's unclear if he's been tested for drugs or alcohol yet. 

News of his axing quickly made its way across social media, with the tweet getting over 5,000 retweets and 25k likes in a matter of hours. It also led to a bit of debate on Twitter, as users were divided over the decision. 

'I feel terrible for him'

It seems some were backing Ruggs, or at least questioning what the axing would achieve, with one user tweeting, "Was this f----n necessary? For real?" Another commented, "I get it. He killed someone. There's no way you could keep him. But he'll wind up on another roster eventually. Idk what the right answer is but it's ridiculous that teams are forced to give up their star players and then they sign elsewhere. He shouldn't be able to play anywhere." One user caused a massive amount of controversy by tweeting, "Ruggs will truly be missed. What a great guy with exceptional talent that made one teeny tiny mistake. I feel terrible for him. Why was the other car on the road at 3:30am?? The narrative here is so off." One person mocked, "Maybe a football team in Vegas wasn’t a good idea after all."

Others though backed the embattled team. One person tweeted, "Thank you Raiders, you made the right move. Murder is Murder." One user slammed those defending Ruggs, tweeting, "The fact that there are people who thought this guy still had a career. AFTER KILLING SOMEONE." Another commented, "The Raider Shield stands for more than what Ruggs and Gruden have brought upon it. If there’s any team that gets through all this bs it’s #RaiderNation."

Along with axing him from the lineup, the Raiders have also been quick to remove any trace of Ruggs at the stadium. One person who took a tour after the accident noted that the Raiders scrubbed all Ruggs-related merchandise and even removed his nameplate from the locker room. It's safe to say, it doesn't look like Ruggs is coming back soon.