When the news broke yesterday morning that the Miami Dolphins were cutting running back Mark Walton for a “police issue”, eyebrows were raised. Given Walton’s checkered past and three prior arrests in the spring of 2019, the Miami Dolphins would have been justified to cut ties with Walton for almost any legal missteps — given they were the team to roll the dice and take a chance on him despite his outstanding legal issues in the spring.
But as more details trickle in regarding the alleged incident Walton was involved in during the early hours of Tuesday morning, the more the Dolphins should be applauded for acting swiftly and decisively — no matter who Walton may have been to the team.
Walton, who was midway through serving a 4-game suspension from the NFL based on his conduct off the field this past offseason, allegedly pushed a woman pregnant with Walton’s child into a wall before punching her several times in the face and head. When the police arrived at the residence, the police report indicates the woman showed swelling on her left eye and Walton was booked shortly afterwards for aggravated battery against a pregnant person — which qualifies as a 2nd-degree felony.
No NFL roster is going to be made up of all boy scouts, but this type of behavior should be given zero tolerance anywhere, let alone in professional sports. And while the Dolphins were within their rights to initially roll the dice on Walton this spring, it unfortunately should not be too big of a shock to see that investment go unrewarded and betrayed. Given Walton’s string of decision making, the odds are quite strong that he’s burned his bridges in the NFL and will not have the privilege of playing professional football ever again.
Nor should he.
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