Kansas City Chiefs assistant coach Dave Merritt was charged with misdemeanor domestic battery on Thursday after a complaint filed by the district attorney in Johnson County, Kansas, accused him of causing bodily harm to a daughter.
Merritt pleaded not guilty during a court appearance later in the day, and the district judge set a $2,500 bond with conditions of no alcohol, drugs or firearms, and no contact with the victim of the alleged crime.
The 54-year-old Merritt spent several years playing linebacker in the NFL before becoming one of the best defensive backs coaches in the league. He has been with the Chiefs since 2019, and including his time with the Giants, has helped teams win five Super Bowls.
“We have been in touch with Dave. We understand the situation. We’ve looked into it,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said after the team made its two first-round draft picks.
One of them, cornerback Mansoor Delane, was picked sixth overall. Merritt will be his position coach.
“We continue to work back as they go through the investigation,” Reid said, “but Dave is home with his family.”
Reid declined to take any questions about the arrest.
Merritt was charged shortly before the 2026 NFL Draft got underway in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Thursday evening.
The Chiefs had the No 6 overall pick in the draft on the opening night and selected LSU Tigers cornerback Mansoor Delane, via a trade with the Cleveland Browns.
The Chiefs also had the 29th pick and brought in another defender; Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods.
“I thought it was important that we address the defense,” Reid explained.
“That’s an important side of the ball, as much as I love the offense. We had some vacancies there that we needed to take care of. That’s the way we felt going in.”
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