Jags’ Chris Claybrooks goes on exempt list in wake of arrest

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jaguars defensive back Chris Claybrooks was placed on the commissioner’s exempt list Tuesday, stemming from his July 21 arrest on domestic battery and false imprisonment charges, the NFL announced.

Claybrooks, while on the list indefinitely, is ineligible to practice or attend games. He does continue to get paid but doesn’t count against the Jaguars’ 53-man active roster, per league rules.

On Aug. 14, Claybrooks entered a plea of not guilty. A pretrial hearing is scheduled for Sept. 11. The domestic battery charge is a misdemeanor, and the false imprisonment charge is a third-degree felony.

Claybrooks, 26, was arrested in July after an investigation by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office of an incident that occurred Sept. 22, 2022. A woman alleged that she and Claybrooks argued after she accused him of cheating on her and that he restrained her when she tried to leave their shared Jacksonville residence, per an arrest and booking report.

According to the report, the woman provided police a video that showed Claybrooks forcefully grabbing her, moving her from the backyard back into the home and restraining her around the upper body.

Claybrooks’ July arrest marks the second time he has been arrested on a domestic assault charge. He also was arrested in Nashville, Tennessee, in April and was charged with misdemeanor domestic assault with bodily injury and vandalism.

According to an affidavit, Claybrooks allegedly grabbed a cellphone from a woman and damaged it by throwing it to the ground. He was not prosecuted after reaching a settlement in the case.