Ex-Seattle Seahawks OT Chad Wheeler pleads not guilty to first-degree assault

Former Seattle Seahawks offensive lineman Chad Wheeler pleaded not guilty to domestic violence charges at his arraignment hearing Monday at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent.

As part of his pretrial release, Wheeler was ordered to remain in Washington and has been fitted with a GPS electronic home monitoring device. He was released on $400,000 bond a few days after his arrest and a day before he was charged.

King County prosecutors last week charged Wheeler, 27, with first-degree domestic violence assault, domestic violence unlawful imprisonment and resisting arrest, all felonies, after he allegedly assaulted and strangled his girlfriend. The victim was taken to the hospital for her injuries, which included a dislocated left elbow, a fractured left upper arm and possible internal injuries to the neck, probable cause documents said. Seattle P-I does not typically identify victims of domestic violence.

A case setting hearing was scheduled for Feb. 11, along with a trial set for April 6.

At the arraignment, Wendy Ross, a criminal advocate supervisor for the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, read a statement from the victim. She described in detail a vicious scene of abuse of which she accused Wheeler, saying he choked her to unconsciousness twice.

"As you consider Chad's custody status, I want you to know that I believe that as long as he is out of custody, I am not safe," she said.

Amid the investigation, which became a national sports story, the Seahawks condemned the allegations of domestic violence in a statement last Wednesday and formally cut ties with Wheeler later in the day, waiving him. Wheeler went unclaimed and is currently an unrestricted free agent.

Wheeler last week apologized to the victim and her family for the “pain and suffering” he caused them in a string of tweets. The NFL is reviewing Wheeler’s case under the league’s personal conduct policy, according to the NFL Network.

"It is time for me to walk away from football and get the help I need to never again pose a threat to another," Wheeler said.

Wheeler signed to Seattle’s practice squad in October 2019 and appeared in five games with the team, all this past season.

In his five games with the Seahawks in 2020, Wheeler played 65 offensive snaps and 22 special teams snaps as a backup. He filled in at right tackle for Seattle where there were injuries to other players. Wheeler played a season-high 60% of offensive snaps in the Seahawks’ Week 14 victory over the Jets.

An undrafted free agent out of USC in 2017, Wheeler started in 19 of 27 games with the Giants from 2017-18. He was waived/injured by the Giants in August of 2019 before signing with the Seahawks’ practice squad two months later.