Fourth-Round Pick Rashad Weaver Charged With Assault

A woman alleges that the defensive end punched her following an argument at a Pittsburgh bar in April.

A day before the Tennessee Titans selected him in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, defensive end Rashad Weaver was charged with simple assault in regard to an incident in the early-morning hours of April 18 in Pittsburgh.

From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

According to the criminal complaint, police officers found a woman lying on the ground surrounded by a group of people at 2:28 a.m. April 18 on South 17th Street between East Carson and Bingham streets.

Those at the scene said a large man, later identified as Mr. Weaver, punched the woman, Demetria Navjelis. Mr. Weaver was not at the scene when officers arrived. Ms. Navjelis was checked by a medic and released.

Weaver's attorney strongly contradicted the allegations in a statement released late Monday afternoon. 

"The allegations against my client, Rashad Weaver, are completely false and reckless," Dennis M. Blackwell of The Blackwell Law Firm, said. "Mr. Weaver takes these charges very seriously, and we look forward to clearing his good name. Without question and without hesitation, we deny Rashad punched anyone, especially a woman. We intend to conduct a full investigation of these charges, and intend to pursue all legal remedies available to Rashad."

According to the Post-Gazette report, the two had been seen arguing in a bar and had to be separated. The woman later told police that she threw her drink at Weaver. Days later, she was diagnosed with a concussion after she went to a hospital because she had been vomiting.

The Titans released a statement Monday afternoon in which they acknowledged that they were not aware of the incident when they selected Weaver. 

“We were made aware of this news this morning," the team said. "We obviously take this seriously and are in the process of gathering details and working with the league.”

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Oct. 5 in Pittsburgh.

Tennessee chose Weaver (6-5, 270), a consensus All-American in 2020, on Saturday with the 135th overall pick in the draft. He was the second player the Titans selected in that round and the fifth of eight overall.

A three-year starter at Pitt, he had 17 sacks, 34.5 tackles for loss and 110 total tackles for his career.

“They put the faith in me to pick me,” Weaver said of the Titans. “… When I got on the phone, I felt like they got the biggest steal in the draft. I thought I would be gone on (Friday), honestly, but some things just change. We are at this point now and I have been drafted and people dream of this. I am so thankful for it.

“For them to pick me, I am excited, but I think they got a great value pick in me and I am excited to prove that to them.”