Earlier in the day, TMZ reported that Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew had been charged with battery. It turns out that Jones-Drew has in fact not been charged with battery at this time, and according to Ryan O'Halloran of the Florida Times-Union, Jones-Drew may not have charges filed against him at all.
Source said no formal charges have been filed on Jones-Drew and investigation is still ongoing. MJD is already back in Miami. #jaguars
— Ryan O'Halloran (@ryanohalloran) May 28, 2013
Another source seemed to indicate that charges may not be filed at all.
Source on Jones-Drew: "He's not getting arrested." #jaguars
— Ryan O'Halloran (@ryanohalloran) May 28, 2013
The original report was that Jones-Drew had struck a security guard, leading him to be charged with battery. Details beyond that are sketchy at best, and it'll likely be a couple days before we have a more clear picture. The Jaguars released a predictable statement on the matter.
"We are aware of the situation regarding Maurice Jones-Drew and are in the process of gathering more information,” the team said. “Due to this being a legal matter, we’ll have no further comment at this time."
It's unclear what the implications would be if Jones-Drew was to be charged with battery, but any such charge could only hurt the Jaguars in a big way. With no solid quarterbacks on the roster, it would seem that Jones-Drew will be the only key piece in the Jaguars' offense in 2013, and if he's gone, there's no telling just how bad the Jaguars' offense could get.