Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Irvin will not be a part of the NFL Network’s draft coverage next week. The former Dallas Cowboys WR is still on suspension stemming from an incident that took place during Super Bowl weekend in Arizona.
Irvin was accused of misconduct by a female employee at the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel in February and was removed from the NFL network’s Super Bowl coverage.
Alex Riethmiller, the NFL media vice president of communications, told the Dallas Morning News that Irvin “remains suspended.”
Irvin Has Maintained His Innocence
Irvin and his lawyer, Levi McCathern, have been proclaiming “The Playmaker’s” innocence since the beginning. After reviewing the security footage from the hotel, McCathern held a press conference with Irvin where the Super Bowl champ said he was experiencing a modern day lynching.
“This sickens me, this sickens me,” Irvin said in a video of the press conference posted by Dallas Morning News reporter Michael Gehlken. “Because in this great country, it takes me back to a time where a white woman would accuse a black man of something, and they would take a bunch of guys that were above the law, run in a barn, put a rope around his foot and drag him through the mud and hang him by a tree.
“How can I defend myself if I don’t even know what I’m defending myself against? … This just blows my mind that in 2023, we’re still dragging and hanging brothers by a tree. That blows my mind that I have no opportunity to defend. I don’t even know what I’m defending.”
Irvin filed a $100 million lawsuit against Marriott, alleging he’s being “railroaded” with false accusations. His legal team released footage last month that shows the encounter between himself and his accuser, which lasts roughly under two minutes.
Irvin claims he spoke to the employee about his sports media career and shook her hand. At another point in the video, Irvin can be seen touching the employee’s arm before the two parted ways.
After the video was released the Marriott corporation filed a motion in relation to the suit, which alleged Irvin displayed aggressive behavior towards the hotel employee.
No Resolution In Sight
This is a lot of “he said” she said” and at this point it is unclear how long this matter will take to solve.
Irvin has been up front about the effect the accusations have been having on him. He was on Twitter earlier this month and said he was in a “dark place.”
It appears as though the NFL Network is waiting until this situation is resolved before allowing Irvin back on television. Perhaps they’re even waiting for a specific outcome to determine if he’ll be allowed back.
Either way, this doesn’t look like we are headed towards a resolution anytime soon.
The 2023 NFL draft begins next Thursday in Kansas City. Rich Eisen, Kurt Warner, Charles Davis, Ian Rapoport, and Melissa Stark will be a part of the NFL Network’s coverage.
