Henry Ruggs remains in prison as a result of the sentence he received in August 2023 stemming from a November 2021 car accident. Ruggs pled guilty after a woman and her dog were killed in the crash. 
The former Raiders wideout was accused of reaching speeds up to 156 mph and he registered a blood alcohol content of 0.16, more than double the legal limit in Nevada. Ruggs was waived the same day charges were filed, ending his tenure in the NFL after playing 20 games across two seasons. As a result of the plea agreement he reached, the former first-rounder received a sentence of three to 10 years in prison.
Ruggs is first eligible for parole on August 5, 2026. In the event he does get released from prison at that point or later, he is interested in attempting an NFL comeback. Former Alabama and Raiders teammate Josh Jacobs said during an appearance on The Pivot podcast Ruggs is training for a return to football.
Jacobs added he has been speaking on Ruggs’ behalf when discussing a return with NFL teams. The Packers running back also said of Ruggs there seem to be “a couple teams” which could be “willing to give him a chance.” Interest on the part of any team would obviously be a noteworthy development given the seriousness of Ruggs’ actions, but Jacobs remains an advocate for a second opportunity in the league.
“He’s a good kid,” Jacobs said, via Lauren Merola of The Athletic (subscription required). “He’s never been in trouble. I’ve never seen him do nothing crazy. He was just one of them guys that had a very, very unfortunate situation and something happened from a decision that he made.”
The top receiver taken in the 2020 draft, Ruggs averaged 18.4 yards per catch and scored four touchdowns during his time with the Raiders. At the time when he first becomes eligible for parole, he will be 27 years old.
Obviously the Chiefs will sign him.
criminally underrated comment here.
Na they’ll probably wait until he has a domestic violence arrest to add to his rap sheet.
Maybe I should have asked this question in the beginning, But is this guy even WORTH the drama? I mean it’s not like we’re talking about Tyreek Hill here are we? Until he got arrested I don’t think I ever heard of him.
Incredible how much leniency our society has for those who have taken the life of another. 3 to 10 years. SMH.
You forgot the rich part. Best lawyers and payouts to the family.
She didn’t have a family. It’s really heartbreaking, but likely also had to do with the light sentence.
Since when didn’t we value entertainment over human life ?
Society gives too much leniency to armed policemen who gun down innocent people. Latest example: the death squad in Idaho that killed an autistic man.
“I’ve never seen him do nothing crazy. He was just one of them guys that had a very, very unfortunate situation and something happened from a decision that he made.”
Jacobs’ wording minimizes the seriousness of Ruggs’ actions. Ruggs didn’t have “an unfortunate situation” occur, he made the active decision to not only get behind the wheel after drinking double the legal limit but to then drive like a maniac, two very serious decisions that killed a woman and her dog.
Agreed!!!
You can’t be a good person and be young and in your early 20’s and drive drunk one time and it blows up into a disaster? I’ve done it and thank god I never was involved in anyone getting injured or hurt. But let’s not act like someone who’s a young 20 something year old and makes a mistake like driving drunk … is a horrible person
@Lyman: partially agree with you but in addition to drunk driving, people were trying to get him to not drive drunk, he defied them and drove 150 mph. In addition, he’s an NFL player with access to a car service. He had every reason in the world to *not* drive drunk but did so anyway and pulled some drag racing nonsense to boot. Not really inclined to give him much of a break here.
How in the world did you just make it sound like all he did was drink and drive?
The mistake was drinking and driving. Then he killed a woman. And at this moment the 20 something year old that made a “mistake” is only thinking about getting back to football.
Sounds like a real winner
Im trying to figure out if he’s simply say his was a “boys will be boys” mistake, no harm and no foul in a self indulgent way, or if he really believes his own stupid act is similar to what this trash did
Either way, what a stupid take
I drove drunk. That was a bad mistake, and fortunately, nothing happened. But He was driving > 150 mph, on a city street. Imagine doing that at 2 AM on 5th Avenue in Manhattan. And he never had to take the car out. This is like when Lenny Dykstra and his crew got into that accident.
You’re rich. Take an Uber to the bar, and have the NFL pick up the ride on the way home. That’s couch-level money for these people.
As someone who has lost a friend to a drunk driver, yes, it makes you a horrible person. F anyone who thinks it doesn’t tbh
We have more than enough exposure to why people should not drink and drive. This one is easy. No, I don’t think you are a good person. Stop making excuses for yourself and others. This shouldn’t even be a debate.
@Lyman- Did I say that? No. Absolutely crazy that you’re asserting I’m making that suggestion.
But to answer your question: I have never once in my life driven 156 MPH; I surely have never gotten behind the wheel with a .16 BAC; and I’ve certainly never done both simulatenously. I believe in second chances, but I also don’t believe in minimizing the situation, which was my point, and I do believe in judging him for his actions that resulted in death.
He killed someone. If you make this level of a bad decision (or two bad decisions at once) and it results in the death of someone, then saying what Jacobs said is disrespectful to the woman who died.
Outside of driving drunk, going 150mph and killing a woman, he’s “Never been in trouble. Never seen him do nothing crazy”. Ok.
He was a good boy
He might be planning on playing football, But does football plan on LETTING him play football, Assuming he gets out of jail in time. Bit of grey area here.
Cleveland Browns on line 1
Well he could apply to be Watson’s new massage therapist. I’m sure he’s getting a lot of hands on training in prison.
As long as when(If) He gets out he doesn’t get a job as a Valet Parking attendant.
Hes not a “good kid”. He took lives, even 10 years is too short
Exactly. He let a woman burn alive while he sat on the curb felling sorry for himself. He’s not a “good kid”, he’s a horrible and immature adult.
Lets be reminded, his friends took his keys away and he attempted to fight them until he got his keys.
Why would the league allow him back in? Ban these criminals once and for all! Plenty of new draftees to take his roster spot.
Yeah, the commissioner needs to lay the hammer down when Ruggs gets out and force the NFLPA to challenge it. A precedent needs to be set when someone dies.
He already is nobody will give him a chance and if I’m one the parole board him talking like that would tell me all I needed to know he has understood what he did or care what he did to that poor young lady’s family and her best friend I want to hear remorse not “I’m working on getting into shape to go back to the NFL”
You don’t have to carry water for this guy, Josh
He should be in jail for life but at the very least no team should sign him.
If my Eagles ever do, I’m done being an Eagles fan. Period.
What about when they signed Vick it wasn’t a person but a bunch of poor innocent dogs
I’m a Philly guy too, and I share your feelings. Tell me, how did you feel when we signed Vick? I was all for it, felt like he served his time and paid his debt. Anything Ruggs could do after parole to make amends?
OTOH we find Black players on the Eagles lined up to kiss the ring of a white supremacist.
“He’s a good kid,” Jacobs said, via Lauren Merola of The Athletic (subscription required). “He’s never been in trouble. I’ve never seen him do nothing crazy. He was just one of them guys that had a very, very unfortunate situation and something happened from a decision that he made.”
I used to spend too much time pointing out hypocrisy or cognitive dissonance and now I realize there are just some people who can only have one thought in their brain at any given time.
Yes and Jared Fogle is eyeing a return to a playground. What’s your point?
How is he training in prison
He starts running and the Guards chase him.
No.
I’m sorry, but killing someone and their dog after hitting them head on at 156mph while drunk doesn’t make him “a good kid”. He should never get an opportunity to play again. He had his chance and he blew it.
Such tone-deaf comments by Jacobs, here.
First off, I have lost any and all respect for Josh Jacobs after this. There are some things that can be excused, but this isn’t one.
Secondly, Ruggs shouldn’t be allowed back in the league, ever. Playing professional football is a privilege, not a right. It absolutely infuriates me that the idea of this piece of trash being allowed back in the league is being floated. He took lives because of his stupidity, and he has already gotten off easy with the light sentence.
As far as I’m concerned, when he gets out, he can go live in a box under a bridge. His buddy Josh can join him there too.
just one of them guys that had a very, very unfortunate situation and something happened from a decision that he made.”
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I’m a Jacobs fan, but that’s a terrible statement. How about “he made a terrible decision” and “he killed a woman”?
Every so often we get rumors so ludicrous you can only laugh. There was the one a couple of years back that suggested Condolezza Rice was going to be the GM for the Browns. This one is almost as funny. I think there’s probably a better chance of Aldon Smith making a comeback than Ruggs…lol.
He Don’t deserve another chance. Bum