The Cleveland Browns have moved full-steam ahead with their second-round draft pick, rookie Mike Hall Jr. Hall was arrested on Tuesday on domestic violence charges that are deplorable. He arrived at practice on Wednesday as some fans wondered if he would be cut.
Police have learned that an argument between Hall and his fiance erupted over "finances regarding a dental procedure for her child." Hall "allegedly pressed a gun against the woman’s temple, threw a baby bottle at her head, and dragged her out of the house." He is due in court on September 10, two days after the Browns open the season against the Dallas Cowboys.
Mike Hall Jr. (51) is practicing with the #Browns today. Yesterday he was arranging and charged with domestic violence for allegedly holding a gun to the temple of his fiancee and hitting her in the head with a baby bottle. pic.twitter.com/eh7Ll4Moor
— Jeff Schudel (@jsproinsider) August 14, 2024
Coach Kevin Stefanski dodged questions about Hall's legal situation saying that the Browns would let the legal process play out. On the same day, Hall was slightly injured at practice with a stinger that was believed to be day-to-day.
Speculation about whether he would play began before kickoff when the list of Browns players who would not play in the second preseason game was circulated. His name was not on the list, and he was later seen in uniform, warming up on the field.
The Browns are back in a situation that could potentially alienate their female fans, as the Deshaun Watson case did in 2022. Cutting him would have ended the story, but since that did not happen, Browns fans find themselves in a similar and equally uncomfortable place as they were in the Spring of 2022.