The NFL has not used the Commissioner Exempt List all that often over the years, but three players have reportedly been placed on the list ahead of the 2020 season.
Seattle Seahawks cornerback Quinton Dunbar, New York Giants cornerback Deandre Baker and Washington wide receiver Cody Latimer have all been placed on the Commissioner Exempt List, according to multiple reports. All three players are facing felony charges.
#Seahawks DB Quinton Dunbar was also placed on the Commissioner’s Exempt list, source said. Both players on paid leave. https://t.co/kcwiizPKhW
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 27, 2020
NFL placed Cody Latimer of the Washington Football Team on the Commissioner Exempt List. Latimer was charged with multiple felonies, including assault with a deadly weapon, following an incident in May.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 27, 2020
Dunbar and Baker are facing charges stemming from an incident on May 14 in which they were accused of robbing some people at a party. They were accused of stealing $7,000 in cash and two watches with a combined value of $43,000. The players were said to have lost about $70,000 at a different party a few days earlier, and then robbed some people in attendance at the May 14 party.
Attorneys representing Dunbar and Baker said the players were victims of an extortion attempt. However, a new report published this month shows Dunbar’s attorney helped organize a payoff plan where the alleged victims were given $55,000 to recant their testimony about the robbery. Baker’s attorney has said publicly that the allegations of a payoff are “false” and “defamatory.”
Latimer is facing three felony charges — including assault with a deadly weapon — after he brandished a gun in an alleged dispute during a poker game back in May. Everyone was kicked out of the game following the argument, and Latimer allegedly later showed up at the apartment of the person he was arguing with and threatened him with a gun.
Latimer spent the last two seasons with the Giants before joining the Redskins this offseason. Dunbar is entering his first season with the Seahawks after spending five with Washington, and Baker is going into his second year with the Giants.
