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Kansas City Chiefs defensive backs coach Dave Merritt was arrested hours before the first-round of the 2026 NFL Draft on Thursday (April 23), according to court documents obtained by the Kansas City Star.
Merritt, 54, was charged with misdemeanor domestic battery after a complaint was filed just after 9:30 a.m. local time Thursday (April 23), accusing him of “unlawfully, knowingly, or recklessly” causing bodily harm to a daughter, which constitutes a domestic violence offense, the documents state. The defensive backs coach was reportedly arrested at around 8:50 p.m. on Wednesday (April 22) and booked into Johnson County Jail at around 10:25 p.m.
Merritt is scheduled to make his first appearance in Johnson County District Court at 2:00 p.m. Additional details were not immediately available, according to Overland Park Police Department spokesman John Lacy.
Merritt joined the Chiefs staff in 2019 and has been on the staff for the three Super Bowl teams, having previously held several positions with the New York Giants, which included winning Super Bowls XLI and XLVI. The veteran coach also spent one season with the Arizona Cardinals before joining the Chiefs. The 2026 NFL Draft will be held in Pittsburgh and begin Thursday night at 8:00 p.m. ET.