Cowboys LB Charles Snowden Draws 3-Game NFL Ban Over 2024 DUI Plea

Q: His DUI charge was reduced, so why is Charles Snowden still facing a three-game NFL suspension?

Charles Snowden is still being suspended because the NFL can punish conduct under its Personal Conduct Policy even when the criminal case ends in a reduced charge. The key issue for the league is not whether Snowden was ultimately convicted of DUI in the strict legal sense. It is that the case reached a criminal disposition tied to the underlying incident. Snowden accepted a no-contest plea to a misdemeanor DUI charge, and the court deal requires him to pay a fine and complete DUI-related courses before the charge is reduced to reckless driving. Under NFL rules, that kind of plea agreement still qualifies as a basis for discipline. The league’s disciplinary system operates independently from the criminal courts. Commissioner Roger Goodell has broad authority to suspend players for off-field conduct that violates league standards, even if charges are reduced, dismissed, or resolved through a plea bargain. In Snowden’s case, the NFL determined the 2024 incident violated the policy regardless of the eventual reduction. The facts of the arrest also likely mattered. Police in Las Vegas found Snowden passed out behind the wheel of a running vehicle, and blood tests reportedly showed blood-alcohol levels of .18 and .19, more than twice the legal limit. Those circumstances gave the league grounds to treat the matter seriously. So the reduced charge did not erase the incident for NFL purposes; the plea deal and the underlying conduct were enough to trigger a three-game suspension.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 15

Dallas Cowboys linebacker Charles Snowden was suspended for the first three games of the 2026 season after his 2024 DUI case was recently resolved.
The NFL said the ban stems from Snowden’s no-contest plea to a misdemeanor DUI charge in January, which brought a $1,000 fine and required DUI and coroner’s courses.
If he completes those terms, the DUI charge will be reduced to reckless driving under the plea agreement.
The suspension starts after rosters are cut to 53 players, though Snowden can still participate in preseason work and all three exhibition games.
Snowden, 28, joined Dallas this offseason after a tryout and is coming off his best NFL year with the Raiders—3 sacks, 28 tackles and 1 interception in 15 games.