Browns DE Lonnie Phelps waived after crashing car into restaurant

[June 21, 2024]  The Cleveland Browns waived defensive end Lonnie Phelps on Thursday, one day after police said he crashed his SUV into a Florida restaurant.
 
Phelps faces charges of drunken driving and damaging property following the incident at the Red Shoe Island Bistro in Key West.  

Mar 1, 2023; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Kansas linebacker Lonnie Phelps (LB25) speaks to the press at the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Phelps, 23, was taken into custody after refusing to cooperate with officers, according to a Monroe County Sheriff's Office report obtained by Cleveland.com.

Photographs reportedly from the scene were posted online by TMZ Sports and showed a vehicle wedged into the side of the restaurant. Reports estimated the damages at $300,000.

Phelps signed with the Browns as an undrafted free agent in May 2023 and he spent last season on their practice squad. Cleveland signed him to a reserve/future contract in January.

Phelps played college football at Miami (Ohio) from 2019-21 and at Kansas in 2022. He recorded 23 sacks and 29.5 tackles for loss in 41 games.

--Field Level Media

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