The Baltimore Ravens released backup running back Bernard Pierce following his arrest early Wednesday morning on charges of driving under the influence.
Pierce was informed of his release Wednesday afternoon by general manager Ozzie Newsome, according to a source.
According to charging documents, Pierce indicated after his arrest Wednesday that he thought he might get quickly released by the team.
“Do you know what happened the last time a Ravens player got a DUI,” Pierce asked when en route to the precinct, according to the charging documents. “I’m getting cut tomorrow, not like you care.”
This marks the third arrest of a Ravens player this offseason, and the eighth arrest of a Ravens player during the past year.
The other two players arrested this offseason — nose tackle Terrence Cody (felony animal cruelty and misdemeanor drug charges) and cornerback Victor Hampton (driving under the influence) — were quickly released from the team.
That came after coach John Harbaugh told his players at the end of last season that there would be “a little bit shorter leeway” than in the past, regarding off-field issues.
“Everybody’s going to be under a different type of scrutiny from here on out, and that’s a good thing,” Harbaugh said then. “Understand that it’s real, it’s serious, and they need to be aware of that.”
The Ravens had five players arrested last offseason, including former star running back Ray Rice. None were released immediately, though, with Rice’s $35 million contract terminated only after a graphic video surfaced of him knocking out his now-wife, Janay, in a casino elevator.
The Ravens don’t operate under a zero-tolerance policy for off-field behavior. They judge each situation independently.
One team source had characterized Pierce’s arrest as a cause for concern earlier in the day.
Despite Pierce’s history of injuries and declining production, he was a third-round draft pick in 2012 and has some ability. As a rookie, Pierce averaged 4.9 yards per carry as the Ravens won the Super Bowl. However, he dipped to 2.9 yards per carry two seasons ago.
Last year, when he had a chance to emerge as the featured back, Pierce faltered and was beaten out by Justin Forsett. Pierce rushed for 366 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 3.9 yards per carry.
The Ravens have signed Forsett to a three-year, $9 million contract. They also bring back Lorenzo Taliaferro for next season and are expected to draft a running back, which already made Pierce’s status tenuous for next season.
After cutting Pierce, the Ravens would shed his $660,000 nonguaranteed base salary for 2015, the final year of a four-year, $2.66 million rookie contract.
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In November, Pierce filed a police report about a break-in at his residence with police saying a handgun, jewelry and other personal property were reported missing. In 2013, in his hometown of Philadelphia, Pierce was the victim of a carjacking when his BMW was stolen at gunpoint.
Growing up as a teenager in Ardmore, Pa., Pierce acknowledged that he didn’t always surround himself with the best people. And he didn’t always control his quick temper.
A brawl during his sophomore year at Lower Merion High School, where Pierce said he was defending a friend, resulted in one combatant going to the hospital. Pierce then went to Glen Mills, a strict high school for court adjudicated juveniles in Delaware County, Pa.
“I got in a little trouble,” Pierce told The Baltimore Sun as a rookie. “It’s in the past. I was going in the wrong direction, making mistakes, teenage stuff. I made a complete turn.”
Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti and team president Dick Cass both expressed hope that a rocky 2014 off the field for the team’s players would be an aberration.
Including Ravens director of security Darren Sanders’ pending sexual offense and assault case, nine employees of the franchise have been arrested during a 13-month span.
“I think things come in waves, and we certainly took a crash here last year,” Bisciotti said during a state-of-the-team news conference in late February. “There isn’t a lot you can do. I think that we are a team and an organization that cares, obviously, about our reputation, and when it takes a hit, then you examine what you do. But in order to take a hit to your reputation, you have to have a pretty good reputation to start with, and we did. So now it’s about proving that it was an aberration, and we believe that to be the case.
“Are we a little more aware? Yes, I think specifically if you go back to the Ray Rice thing, we certainly are more aware. We’ve been able to tap resources in the community that have furthered our knowledge, our sensitivity and our responsibility. And I do think that for the Ravens and then society in general, I think it is a positive, and it’s our obligation to turn that negative into a positive. I’m very encouraged that all we have to do is be aware and be sensitive, and we will do a job that Baltimore is proud of going forward.”
Cass noted that the Ravens had three arrests during a five-year span from 2009 to 2013.
“So, we are hoping that 2014 was an aberration and that the processes that we have in place will continue to work the way they had the five previous years — much better than they did in 2014,” Cass said.
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