Drunk Driving Arrests Could Cost Jared Allen

Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Jared Allen becomes a free agent at the end of the month, but the Chiefs have slapped the franchise tag on him, meaning his options are, practically speaking, limited to signing a one-year deal with the team or reaching a long-term contract extension.

And although the team is willing to pay Allen a pretty penny, Chiefs general manager Carl Peterson has described Allen as "at-risk," suggesting that the Chiefs might not be willing to put quite as much guaranteed money in Allen's contract as his on-field performance would seem to warrant because of his multiple past drunk driving arrests. Allen was suspended for the first two games of the 2007 season because of the arrests. The Kansas City Star reports:

Allen weakened his contract leverage in accumulating two drinking-and-driving arrests and a subsequent 2007 two-game suspension. Peterson's at-risk claim insinuates that he's a bit reluctant to give Allen a huge contract until he's comfortable that Allen has matured. [Agent Ken] Harris counters that standard contract language for NFL players, particularly players in the league's substance-abuse program, provides the Chiefs more than enough protection if Allen gets in more trouble.

Does Allen's on-field production make him worthy of a contract among the highest-paid defensive players in the league? No doubt. But it's legitimate for the Chiefs to consider his off-field problems. If Allen doesn't like the fact that his arrest and suspension record could cost him millions, well, he should have though of that before he drove drunk.