Former NFL WR Henry Ruggs may have made a brief public appearance this past week, but let’s be clear, he remains behind bars.
Serving time for a tragic 2021 DUI crash that killed 23-year-old Tina Tintor and her dog, Ruggs isn’t eligible for parole until August 2026.
Still, speculation has already begun about what might come next for the once-promising 1st round pick.
If you’re a fan of the Dallas Cowboys, you’ve seen this movie before.
Jerry Jones, the team’s longtime owner and general manager, has a well-documented history of giving second chances, and in some cases, third and fourth, to players with legal and disciplinary problems.
However, in this case, the Cowboys must take a firm stance: Henry Ruggs should never wear a star on his helmet.
Poor Choices
What happened on that night in Las Vegas wasn’t a lapse in judgment. It was a fatal, reckless decision.
Driving at over 150 miles per hour while intoxicated, Ruggs crashed into another vehicle and took an innocent life.
No amount of remorse or time served can erase that reality.
His future, even if it includes a return to society, should not involve another shot at professional football, especially not with a franchise like Dallas that carries national attention and public responsibility.
A Penchant for Troubled Players
Sure, Jerry Jones has gambled on troubled talent before.
He signed Greg Hardy despite a domestic violence suspension.
He supported Josh Brent after a drunk driving accident that killed a teammate.
He gave multiple chances to Rolando McClain and Randy Gregory despite repeated league violations.
Those decisions, while controversial, were justified by the front office as attempts at rehabilitation and redemption.
Ruggs isn’t just another troubled athlete. His case is different.
He was directly responsible for the death of a young woman in one of the most horrifying off-field incidents the league has seen in recent memory.
There’s no “football reason” strong enough to outweigh that.
Steering Clear
Even if Ruggs is granted parole in August 2026, any team, especially the Cowboys, should think twice before even entertaining a conversation.
The backlash from fans, advocacy groups, and sponsors would be swift and justified.
Beyond that, Dallas has spent recent years trying to clean up its reputation and build a locker room around character and discipline.
Taking a flier on Ruggs would undermine that progress in an instant.
It doesn’t matter if Ruggs can still run a 4.2. It doesn’t matter if he’s remorseful. It doesn’t matter if Jerry Jones thinks he can save another career.
Some lines just shouldn’t be crossed.
Come 2026, there will be plenty of young, hungry receivers without a criminal record or a fatal mistake in their past.
The Cowboys should focus on them, not on a name that should never re-enter an NFL conversation.
Ruggs should not be an option. Not now. Not ever.
100%
All the way! There is that speedy wide receiver Bond kid from UT who was involved in some criminal incident before the draft and his name was never called despite having a successful year at UT. Stay the hell away from those types.
Everybody is worthy of redemption let us not cast judgement because many times all of us have fallen short of grace from poor decision making, but we recovered. Give that man some grace…so quick to judge when we all have skeletons in our closet.
I agree 100%!!
I disagree!! That’s not right, he made a mistake, yes, it was a big mistake, but it was a mistake either way, and he’s being punished for it, and what he did will be stuck with him for the rest of his life!! There’s nothing that can be done to him that will be worse than what he’s gonna feel for the rest of his life!! It will haunt him forever!! And I’m sure he’ll never forgive himself for what happened!! He was a good kid, you can go talk to his college teammates and they’ll tell you that Ruggs was the last person they ever thought would be in that situation!! The kid was never in trouble before, he was always doing what he was supposed to do, and he ends up making one mistake, and you think he shouldn’t be allowed to have a second chance!? That’s not right!! Everybody makes mistakes, it don’t mean they shouldn’t get a second chance!! Everybody deserves a second chance, no matter how bad the mistake was!!
a Dallas Cowboys fan, since the 70’s WR Henry Ruggs messed up his career after being drafted but Jerry Jones is stupid enough to signed Henry Ruggs