Former NFL linebacker Darron Lee faces first-degree murder charges. He also has been sued.
Via WKYC, the family of Gabriella Perpétuo has filed a $50 million wrongful-death lawsuit against Lee.
It’s another available form of justice when the worst possible injustice — the termination of someone’s life — occurs. And the standard of proof in the civil justice system (preponderance of the evidence; basically, 51-49) is much lower than it is in criminal court (beyond a reasonable doubt).
The best example comes from the O.J. Simpson case. Acquitted (somehow) for double murder in 1995, a jury later entered a $33.5 million verdict against Simpson in the wrongful-death lawsuit.
Lee was denied bail earlier this week. The prosecutor said that the case against him includes multiple aggravating factors that could justify the death penalty.
A first-round pick in 2016, Lee made more than $10 million during his NFL career, playing three years with the Jets, one with the Chiefs, and one with the Bills. He last played in 2020.
Chiefs Clips
The Chiefs are hiring DeMarco Murray as their running backs coach, according to Jordan Schultz of The Schultz Report.
The former Cowboys running back replaces Todd Pinkston on Andy Reid’s staff.
Murray spent the past six seasons at the University of Oklahoma, his alma mater. He began his coaching career as the running backs coach at Arizona in 2019.
The Cowboys showed interest in Murray last year when they hired Derrick Foster.
Murray, who turned 39 today, entered the NFL as a third-round pick of the Cowboys in 2011. He spent four seasons in Dallas, setting the team’s single-season rushing record with 1,845 yards in 2014. He won offensive player of the year honors and was first-team All-Pro.
He signed with the Eagles in the 2015 offseason and spent one season there before finishing his career with the Titans.
Murray ranks seventh on the Cowboys’ all-time rushing list.
The Seahawks, if the NFL concocts its schedule in the usual way, will open the 2026 season with a home game on Thursday, September 10. And with both the 49ers and Rams reportedly set to play Week 1 in Melbourne, two viable options to get the short straw in Seattle will be out of the mix.
But there are still plenty of good matchups, given a 2026 home schedule for the Seahawks that is chock full of competitive teams.
Beyond the NFC West rivals, the Seahawks will host the Chiefs, Chargers, Bears, Cowboys, Giants, and Patriots. Every one of those games has appeal.
The Chargers and Giants would introduce the wrinkle of Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald squaring off against one of his former bosses, Jim and John Harbaugh. The Chiefs have the Patrick Mahomes (and maybe Travis Kelce/Taylor Swift) angle. The Cowboys are always a major draw. The Bears will be one of the “hot” teams for 2026.
And while a Super Bowl rematch may not have much sizzle given what happened on Sunday, it would still be a Super Bowl rematch.
Even a game against the Cardinals could be compelling, since they have a new coach and presumably will have a new quarterback. (Seattle and Arizona played an overtime game in Week 4 of the 2025 season.)
It nevertheless remains possible that Whoever vs. Seahawks won’t be the first game of the season. 49ers-Rams may need to be played before the opening Thursday in order to reduce the significant travel/jet-lag burden.
Still, if the existing approach holds, it’ll be Seattle against someone as they hang their latest banner on the first Thursday night of the season. One of the many decisions the NFL will need to make about the 2026 schedule will entail selecting the opponent for what should be a fairly significant game.
The first-degree murder case against former NFL linebacker Darron Lee could include an effort to seek the death penalty.
Via Meg Doyle of NewsChannel9.com, Hamilton County, Tennessee, District Attorney Coty Wamp said during a Wednesday bond hearing that the evidence against Lee includes two “aggravating factors” that would qualify Lee for capital punishment. After the hearing, Wamp told Doyle that a decision has not yet been made as to whether the death penalty will be pursued.
Lee was denied bond pending trial. The case against bail included testimony that Lee had moved from Florida to Tennessee in violation of the terms of probation for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Lee was also on probation for a 2023 incident in Ohio, for an incident in which Lee pushed a woman and punched her in the face multiple times.
In this specific case, the details are troubling. Gabriella Carvalho Perpétuo was found dead in a rented home. The scene was described in court as chaotic and violent.
“There was blood going up the staircase, on the hand railing there was blood, on the walls there was blood, on the floor in the living room there was blood, in the floor on the hallway and the stairs . . . there was blood in just about every room except one,’ Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office Detective Brian Lockhart testified during the bond hearing.
Lee told investigators that the deceased had narcolepsy and likely fell in the shower.
Lockhart also testified that the microwave oven was shattered, and that broken glass was scattered throughout the premises. Detectives found cleaning supplies upstairs, including “bleach wipes, a spray bottle, and a full bag.” The charges against Lee include a claim that he tampered with evidence.
Lockhart said in court that the victim suffered “severe injuries, including severe brain trauma, a broken neck, bruising across her body, a large bite mark on her shoulder and thigh, stab wounds to her legs, and significant facial trauma.” The cause of death was blunt force trauma.
Lee was a first-round pick of the Jets in 2016. He spent three years with the Jets, one with the Chiefs, and one with the Bills.
The Seahawks won Super Bowl LX less than 24 hours ago and some have already turned their attention to Super Bowl LXI.
Sportsbooks have set the odds for who will be raising the Lombardi Trophy in SoFi Stadium on February 14, 2027. The Seahawks are at the top of the list, but they aren’t the only team on that rung.
They aren’t even the only NFC West team. The Rams join the Seahawks at +950 at DraftKings at the moment.
The Bills have the top odds of any AFC team with the Eagles, Patriots, and Ravens tied for the fourth spot. The Packers, Lions, Chargers, and Chiefs round out the top 10.
At the other end of the spectrum, the Cardinals and Dolphins are both at +25000.
When the 2026 regular season begins on the Thursday night after Labor Day (there’s a chance it’ll start a day or two earlier given the long trip the 49ers and Rams will make to Australia), the Seahawks will be hosting the game and hanging their newest banner.
The options include a potential Super Bowl rematch with the Patriots.
Other candidates are the Chiefs, Chargers, Bears, Cowboys, Giants, and Seattle’s NFC West rivals — the Rams, 49ers, and Cardinals. (Again, the 49ers and Rams could be meeting in Melbourne in Week 1.)
Ten years ago, the Broncos and Panthers had a Week 1 rematch following Super Bowl 50. So it’s not unprecedented.
Still, based on tonight’s outcome, there may not be much appetite for an immediate rematch.
Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, who is set to become a free agent next month, has not said whether he plans to play in 2026 or retire. If he wants to play, the Chiefs want him to keep playing in Kansas City.
Kelce and the team have been in touch and the Chiefs want him back, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
But the real question is how much they’re willing to spend to have him back. Salary cap projections for 2026 have the Chiefs in the worst cap shape in the NFL, about $55 million over the cap. They’ll make enough moves to get under the cap before the league year starts in March, but they’re not going to have a lot of money to sign Kelce to a lucrative contract.
And even if they did have the money, it’s not clear how much they’d be willing to spend, simply because Kelce is going to turn 37 this year and isn’t the same player he once was. Kelce averaged a career-worst 50.1 receiving yards per game in 2025.
It’s not surprising that the Chiefs want Kelce back. It would be a surprise if they’re willing to keep paying him the $17 million a year he’s been making.
Darron Lee, a first-round pick of the Jets in 2016, has been charged with murdering his girlfriend.
Via Fox 17 in Nashville, the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office took Lee into custody on Thursday, after deputies were dispatched to a residence at which first responders were performing CPR on a female. Per the HCSO, she died as a result of her injuries.
The HCSO Criminal Investigative Services Detectives made a preliminary finding that the victim’s death was resulted from a homicide. Lee was identified as a suspect.
Lee has been charged with first-degree murder and tampering with evidence. Via TMZ.com, Lee is being held without bond.
The former Ohio State linebacker was the 20th overall pick in the 2016 draft. He spent three years with the Jets, one with the Chiefs, and one with the Bills. Lee appeared in 58 career regular-season games, with 38 starts, and he was a member of the Super Bowl LIV championship team in Kansas City.
Matt Nagy has landed on his feet in New York.
The former Bears head coach returned to the Chiefs after his four-year run in Chicago ended. When his contract as the Chiefs offensive coordinator expired, Nagy began interviewing for head-coaching jobs.
He was a finalist for the Titans job, and some thought he would be getting it. When that didn’t transpire, the Chiefs brought back Eric Bieniemy to serve as offensive coordinator, leaving Nagy without a job.
Now, Nagy has a new gig. Via Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, Nagy will be the offensive coordinator of the Giants.
It makes Nagy arguably the most important member of John Harbaugh’s staff. Nagy will be charged with continuing the development of quarterback Jaxson Dart, and otherwise making the team’s offense go.
Nagy joined the Eagles the year that Harbaugh left to become head coach of the Ravens. While they’ve never worked together, they both share a strong connection to Chiefs coach Andy Reid — Harbaugh spent a decade with Reid in Philadelphia, and Nagy has 14 years with Reid, between Philly and Kansas City.
The Chiefs have added a quarterback to their offseason roster.
Jake Haener announced on Instagram that he has signed with the AFC West club. Haener closed out the 2025 season on the Saints’ practice squad and did not sign a future contract to remain with the team.
Haener was involved in a competition for the starting job in New Orleans with Spencer Rattler and Tyler Shough last season, but wound up in third position. The 2023 fourth-round pick spent most of the season on the practice squad and did not appear in any games.
Haener made eight appearances in 2024 and started one game. He was 18-of-39 for 226 yards, a touchdown and an interception in those games.
The Chiefs have Patrick Mahomes coming off a torn ACL, so their other quarterbacks should get plenty of work in the offseason. Gardner Minshew and Chris Oladokun filled in after Mahomes’s injury, but Minshew is not under contract for 2026.
