Eagles release Daryl Worley after Sunday morning arrest in South Philly
The 23-year-old cornerback's homecoming proved to be shortlived. He grew up in North Philadelphia and played at Penn Charter.
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The Eagles have released cornerback Daryl Worley, who was arrested early Sunday morning after being found passed out and in possession of a gun in a car on Broad Street, near the team's South Philly practice facility. A source close to the situation confirmed an NFL Network report, which said Worley became combative with police when they confronted him, and police used a taser to subdue him.
Worley, 23, from North Philadelphia, starred at Penn Charter High and at West Virginia University before being drafted in the third round by the Carolina Panthers in 2016. Observers were surprised when the Eagles were able to get him in exchange for veteran receiver Torrey Smith early this offseason; salary-cap concerns had made it likely the team would end up releasing Smith. Getting a young, healthy corner with 25 NFL starts for Smith seemed like a coup. The Worley release saves the team $670,000 against the cap.
In 2014, Worley entered a no-contest plea to misdemeanor assault and was given a six-month suspended sentence for an altercation with a woman outside a Morgantown, W.Va., nightclub, after a West Virginia victory. Worley said then that he was defending his girlfriend.
"It was a simple situation where it was wrong place at the wrong time. There [was] nothing malicious about the incident," Worley told a conference call with reporters after the Panthers traded up to draft him. "All 32 teams have seen the videotape. They have the official court documents which I gave to them where there was nothing malicious about it.
"I did my due diligence as far as the court required me, and honestly, it is just behind me in the past. It is expunged from my record, and I am looking to move forward. Nothing like that is ever going to be a problem heading forward."
An Eagles spokesman said the team had no comment on Worley's release.
The Eagles are set to begin their offseason conditioning program Monday. They are deep at corner, and because of that, there has been much speculation about the team possibly trading Ronald Darby, hoping to add to a paltry total of six picks in the NFL draft, which begins April 26. Worley's release could make the team more reluctant to trade Darby.
Worley's agent, Chafie Fields, has not responded to requests for comment.