New York Jets safety Marcus Maye facing charges from DUI arrest in February

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- New York Jets safety Marcus Maye is facing charges from a DUI arrest and car crash that occurred Feb. 22 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, according to Broward County court records.

The arrest, which had not been previously reported by the media, subjects Maye to the NFL's personal-conduct policy -- meaning it could result in a suspension. An Oct. 20 Zoom hearing is scheduled between Maye's attorney and the state attorney, per court records.

Failure to report an incident is grounds for discipline under league policy.

Maye, 28, was charged with driving under the influence and two other misdemeanors: DUI/damage to property and person and leaving the scene of a crash, according to the booking report. He posted a bond of $1,500.

The league is reviewing the matter under its personal-conduct policy, NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said. It appears the Jets were not made aware of the arrest.

"We're not going to comment on a pending legal matter," a Jets spokesman told ESPN on Monday.

Maye's agent, Erik Burkhardt, said in a statement to ESPN: "It is an ongoing legal matter and our attorney has advised us we cannot comment. We are confident it will be positively resolved. We look forward to Marcus getting back on the field soon."

Maye, traveling by himself in a 2018 Mercedes, allegedly crashed into the left rear of a Volvo while driving north on the Florida Turnpike at 7:33 p.m. There were no injuries, the traffic citation says, but the driver of the Volvo -- Jamila Abraham of Belle Glade, Florida -- filed a civil suit and is seeking in excess of $30,000, per court filings.

Maye was found in his car just north of where the alleged accident occurred, according to the police report, which also stated that he was unresponsive and unaware that he hit another vehicle. His eyes were bloodshot, his speech was slurred and officers smelled alcohol, per the report. Officers saw vomit on the driver's door and the floorboard.

Maye told officers that he hadn't been drinking and that the smell was from two days ago. He declined to take a sobriety test and provide a breath sample. There was damage to his Mercedes that corresponded to the Volvo's damage, the report said.

It was Maye's first DUI offense, according to court documents.

"Marcus Maye has not committed any crime, nor was he either intoxicated or impaired,'' Eric Schwartzreich, Maye's lawyer, said in an email to The Associated Press. "Mr. Maye will have his day in court on these erroneous misdemeanor accusations, where we are confident that he will be found not guilty.''

The arrest occurred two weeks before Maye, voted by teammates as the Jets' MVP in 2020, was given the franchise tag by the Jets. By rule, the two sides had until July 15 to work out a long-term contract, but they never got close to an agreement, sources told ESPN.

As a result, Maye is playing on a one-year deal for the amount of the tag -- $10.6 million.

General manager Joe Douglas said at a March 3 news conference that the organization's plan was to keep Maye "long term." At the time, Burkhardt criticized the organization on Twitter for refusing to "take care of their best player."

Maye is recuperating from an ankle injury that occurred in Week 3 and forced him to sit out Sunday's 27-24 overtime win against the Tennessee Titans. He's expected to miss three to four weeks.

Burkhardt tweeted last week that Maye will be healthy by the Nov. 2 NFL trading deadline, fueling speculation that the safety wants to be moved.

A second-round pick in 2017, Maye is the longest-tenured member of the Jets. He has appeared in 57 games -- all starts -- and has six interceptions.