NFL places Colts’ Drew Ogletree on Commissioners Exempt List

Indianapolis, Indiana – When it came to Drew Ogletree, the NFL moved quickly.

The league added the second-year tight end for the Indianapolis Colts to its Commissioner Exempt List on Saturday, less than twenty-four hours after he was taken into custody on suspicion of domestic abuse.

The NFL’s personal conduct policy permits the disciplinary penalty. While investigations are ongoing, it temporarily removes a player from consideration for the 53-man active roster. Ogletree continues to get his $41,667 weekly salary.

After being taken into custody on Friday afternoon, Ogletree, 25, was charged with two felonies: one count of domestic battery in the presence of a minor and one case of domestic battery causing moderate bodily harm.

Ogletree was penalized while the legal system and the NFL conducted their investigations after the Colts promptly notified the league office of the circumstances.

The offensive game plan for the Sunday matchup between the Lucas Oil Stadium Rams and the Las Vegas Raiders was anticipated to use the 2022 sixth-round draft pick.

Rather, he has to deal with an uncertain future. While he is on the Commissioner Exempt List, he is not permitted to practice or attend sporting events.

Ogletree’s issues with the NFL are the least of his concerns.

The felony charges are related to an event that happened on December 26, when Ogletree and a female got into a physical confrontation, prompting Avon Police Department officers to be called to a property in Avon.

The female victim was taken right away to a nearby hospital to assess the extent of her injuries, while Ogletree was first held on the scene, according to APD.

The woman acknowledged that after attempting in vain to slap Ogletree—whom she identified as her boyfriend—she was “body slammed” onto the ground.

“She was in pain and could not move and it felt like she was going to pass out,” the female claimed in the affidavit.

The couple had returned home from dinner when the fight started, and the affidavit states that the woman took hold of Ogletree’s phone and destroyed it when she found out he had been “cheating on her.” The woman reported to Avon police that she attempted to hit Ogletree, but he “body slammed her onto the ground.”

According to the affidavit, Ogletree told police that after the woman tried to strike him, he pushed her to the ground and “she fell onto her back.”

When the Colts selected 6-5, 260-pound Ogletree in the sixth round of the 2022 selection, they thought he was a promising prospect.

Despite missing his rookie season due to an ACL tear sustained during training camp, he has made appearances in 12 games this season, including nine starts. Ogletree was mostly employed as a blocker, although he also had two touchdowns and nine catches for 147 yards.

Currently in the second year of his rookie deal, he will make $1.1 million in 2025 and $915,000 in 2024.

The Colts addressed “the disturbing allegations” in their initial statement following Ogletree’s arrest on Friday night.

The statement stated, “The team takes these matters seriously.”

The NFL acknowledged this on Saturday.

Mike Chappell may be followed on Twitter at @mchappell51.