Dallas Cowboys All-Pro punt returner KaVontae Turpin was arrested on misdemeanor marijuana possession and unlawfully carrying a weapon charge, authorities said on Sunday.
Turpin was arrested by police in Allen, Texas on Saturday. The 28-year-old Turpin is out of jail on bond and there is no record of an attorney for him. The team declined to comment.
The former TCU standout is going into his fourth season with the Cowboys and recently signed an $18 million, three-year contract.
This isn’t the first time Turpin was involved in legal troubles. His collegiate career at TCU ended in 2018 when he was kicked off the team after the school found out about a second domestic violence case against him. That case, which took place in New Mexico, was discovered following an alleged incident with his girlfriend at an off-campus apartment in Fort Worth. Both cases involved the same woman.
The Cowboys signed Turpin out of the USFL in 2022. He had played in several satellite football leagues before joining the USFL.
Turpin secured his spot on the team by returning a punt and a kickoff for touchdowns in a 2022 preseason game. He was one of the best returners in the NFL his first two years, but didn’t have any regular-season returns for TDs until he scored one on a punt and one on a kickoff during his All-Pro season in 2024.
Turpin’s role as a receiver has grown, and first-year coach Brian Schottenheimer, who will call the plays on offense, has indicated the speedy and diminutive player will be targeted more often in his scheme.
Turpin had career bests of 31 catches for 420 yards and scored two touchdowns last season. He had three TDs receiving and one rushing in 2023.
[Associated Press]
