Photo courtesy of RAC.org.
Does the NFL really value women? We know that they are making extraordinary strides when it comes to hiring women for coaching and other team-related positions. That clearly shows that hiring women is important to the NFL. Representation, or the appearance of representation, is important to the NFL.
Women also appear to be represented more on football-related shows. The NFL also is really promoting flag football and girls participating in sports through events and advertising. That all counts for something, right? Yes. But can we say that women really matter to the NFL? Let’s talk about the violence against women epidemic in the league and then decide. There are mature themes in this article and it may not be appropriate for all audiences.
Violence Against Women
It’s not unbeknownst to this author that violence against women is prominent inside and outside of the league. Research indicates 1 in 4 women in America will experience intimate partner violence, and 1 in 3 women will experience sexual violence in their lifetime. Roughly five million domestic violence acts occur against women annually, and there are 1.5 million sexual and physical assaults against women by intimate partners each year.
51,100 women worldwide were murdered by their family or intimate partner in 2023. That breaks down to about 140 women and girls who lose their lives to a person close to them every day. 60% of murdered women were killed by a loved one, and only 11.8% of men were murdered by their intimate partner or family member. This isn’t meant to undermine the abuse and violence that men experience, particularly by partners, but it’s not about y’all this time. It’s not your month.
Impact
We’ve determined violence doesn’t occur only in the league, so why does that intimate partner violence in the league need to be highlighted? Football is America’s sport, and NFL events are some of the most viewed content throughout the year. Little boys dream of being an NFL player. Little girls and boys dream of being with a football player someday.
The men in the league are on a societal pedestal and will inspire the next generation, for better or for worse. Also, there is a sense of morality or stand-up character associated with an NFL player. It’s confusing, especially for children, to hear a player did something horrible and then after a short suspension we are back to supporting our ‘heroes’ a few Sundays later. Unless, of course, the NFL player fights dogs. Then that can’t be overlooked, even after they do their time and show genuine change and remorse.
The Statistics
Crime-related statistics in the NFL are limited. We are utilizing publicly available databases that are curated by an individual. This leaves room for human error and categorization and organization that is unique to the creator. States also label crimes differently, so we listed everything as the state did. The fantastic databases we do have only go back to 2000. Any crimes from the 20th century are not included in these stats. But 25 years of research gave us a good idea of what is happening in the league.
Based on the USA Today database, we found 173 arrests where violence allegedly occurred against women between 2000 and 2025. We did not include anything that was not physical harm to ladies. Anything that was only emotional abuse or traumatizing are not figured into those 173 arrests. The non-physical crimes against women we did not count were ‘family issues,’ harassment, indecent exposure, burglary, menacing (pointing a firearm at), stalking, trespassing, and the violation of court and protective orders.
The Breakdown
The 173 arrests include 143 cases of domestic violence. 142 cases involved intimate partners, and one included a mother of the alleged perpetrator. There were 14 cases of assault, 1 murder, 1 ‘pimping’ arrest, 1 rape and kidnapping, 5 categorized as just ‘sex’ including 2 underage young ladies, 5 sexual assaults including 1 underage girl, 1 case of sexual battery, and 1 case of trespassing a business the individual was banned from after allegedly assaulting dancers.
Another database found that domestic violence was the third most common crime NFL players were arrested for. The first two were drugs and DUIs.
If we calculate how many men were in the league for these past 25 years, we can get a rough estimate by multiplying the total roster number by 25. That would give us 1325 men between 2000 and 2025. There were 143 cases of domestic violence within those 25 years. Roughly 11% of men in the league were arrested for domestic violence over 25 years. Allegedly, 6 women were victims of violence in the league each year approximately.
“Consequences”
If there is a clear guide of offenses and suspensions, please put it in the comment section, because this author could not find one. One source indicates that the players receive six games on the first go for domestic violence and may be banned ‘indefinitely’ if there are subsequent cases. Indefinitely, in this case, means requesting to re-enter the league in one year.
Practical Examples
In March of 2025, two Buffalo Bills players were given a six-game suspension for the upcoming season for violating the PED policy. That has consistently been the penalty for violating the PED policy in the 2020s. What kind of messaging does it send to women when being domestically assaulted appears to be equally weighed in terms of punishment with taking a performance-enhancing substance? Six games already feel disrespectfully low, but to have the two offenses garner the same punishment feels disgusting.
A comprehensive list of suspensions between 2007 and 2022 gives us a clearer idea of what suspension looks like in practice. Three players have been banned from the league between those years for child abuse, dog fighting, and domestic violence. In 2023, five players were banned indefinitely from the league for violating the league’s gambling policy.
Deshaun Watson got the ‘high’ number of 11 games after the league initially slapped him with six. That didn’t sit right with people since there were over 20 accusations of him violating the ‘personal-conduct policy.’ 11 still felt too low. Some other offenses that will get you more than six games include insider trading, and some gun charges will land you eight games or more.
The hierarchy of penalties feels wrong. Also, the semi-frequent reduction to just three or four games for violence against women over the years feels wrong too. Putting PEDs and gambling in the same realm with violence against women is repulsive.
In Conclusion
Hey NFL, great work on being on the forefront of hiring women in the sports world. We love that. But do you think you can focus on hiring women and protecting us at the same time? If you aren’t standing for the empowerment of all women, you’re doing it wrong. The message to women is still clear as long as you overlook or barely punish men who lay hands on their ladies.
The optics of the league will “look” pro-female, while the silent victims of abuse will stand in the shadows, ignored. Are we just another checkmark in your books, or are you actually serious about protecting and empowering women? Your “Social Responsibility Education” has been going on for 10 years. We appreciate the effort, but we’re going to need more. And six game suspensions aren’t cutting it either.
If you, or someone you know, is a victim of intimate partner violence, please contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-SAFE), and check out their website for helpful resources if it is safe for you to do so. You are not alone.
