Ray McDonald was one of a rash of NFL players who were suspended and/or cut from teams this past season for off-field incidents involving abuse against women. In August, he was arrested (but never ultimately charged) for a domestic violence incident. There were strong calls from fans and media alike for the 49ers to suspend or cut McDonald, but in the absence of charges being filed, he played in 14 games. Months later, however, after he was arrested again, the 49ers released him.
That second arrest, which happened in December, stemmed from a woman's claim that she was raped by McDonald. Shortly after that case went public, the 49ers dropped McDonald, and since then, he hasn't found a new job. His lawyer recently told the San Jose Mercury News that there's a surveillance footage from McDonald's home proving that his encounter with the accuser was consensual sex, not rape, and he plans to use the video to bring a defamation lawsuit her.
Said McDonald's lawyer, “In the eyes of the NFL teams, the unresolved threat of charges being filed against him, even though factually unfounded, continues to present a roadblock to this remarkable athlete being able to move forward in his career." The eight-year NFL veteran has been a career 49er, and no other teams thus far have approached McDonald, who remains a free agent.
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[via ProFootballTalk]
