The circumstances surrounding defensive lineman Jeremiah Ratliff's release on Wednesday were kept quite hush-hush for the majority of the past couple of days, with the only real information getting out being that he got into a heated argument with Chicago Bears GM Ryan Pace. However, early this morning, CBS Chicago was finally able to report that Ratliff actually showed up to Halas Hall drunk. This came after he pleaded guilty to a DWI back in May and was consequently suspended for three games by the NFL to start the 2015 season.
The most recent incident happened on Wednesday, as Ratliff showed up to the Bears' practice facility and was clearly impaired. Team officials noticed and told the 34-year-old veteran to go home. He left, but then came back. Once more, he was told to leave, but somehow didn't get the message and returned again. This time, first-year GM Ryan Pace took matters into his own hands and confronted Ratliff. The Lake Forest Police Department was then called as a precautionary measure, and Ratliff was eventually escorted off of the premises.
It sure seemed like there was something missing when it was first reported that Ratliff was cut. Originally, there wasn't much to go on other than that he was seen arguing with Pace. But why would a defensive tackle be arguing with the general manager? Now the pieces have fallen into place, and he has the history to back it up.
Back in May of this year, Ratliff pleaded guilty to a DWI charge from 2013. He was given probation for a year and fined as punishment for the accident he caused, as he was arrested in Grapevine, Texas after crashing his pickup into a semi.
Not only that, but the troubled lineman also has a history of arguing with general managers. Or in the prior case, a general manager who also happened to be the owner of the Dallas Cowboys: Jerry Jones. Granted, that altercation was about Ratliff's contract, but it still shows a pattern.
All this being said, though, it's clear that Ratliff has some issues. It'd be very surprising if another team gives him a shot after all of these occurrences, even though he was arguably Chicago's best defensive player according to some coaches on the Bears team as well as some analysts.
Moving forward, the Bears signed defensive lineman Ziggy Hood, a player who has some experience in a 3-4 scheme while with the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2009-13. They will also rely on outstanding rookie Eddie Goldman, veteran Jarvis Jenkins and others even more heavily than before.
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