Former NFL OL Chad Wheeler sentenced to 81 months for domestic violence assault
Former NFL offensive lineman Chad Wheeler was sentenced to 81 months in state prison following his November conviction for first- and second-degree domestic violence assault.
Wheeler also received 36 months of probation and was ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation by the King County (Washington) Superior Court. He will be required to pay restitution, the amount of which still is to be determined.
Wheeler, 30, brutally assaulted his girlfriend near Seattle in January 2021 while he played for the Seahawks. He strangled her unconscious, broke her arm and left her for dead as blood poured from her nose and mouth and into her stomach, according to prosecutors.
The woman told police that Wheeler expressed surprised she was still alive after she regained consciousness a second time.
Alleah Taylor, who still uses a brace on her arm and has scars from the incident, was in the courtroom for Wheeler's sentencing and granted an interview to Brent Schrotenboer of USA Today afterward.
“I’m very satisfied,” Taylor told Schrotenboer. “It’s very unheard of that a Black woman was able to get justice from a white NFL player. A lot of people doubted that, that I was going to receive justice and he was going to go to prison. I’m very grateful that I was able to receive justice today, and that is a message to be sent to other men in power — that they will be held accountable.”
Wheeler, who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, was released by the Seahawks after his arrest and has not played in the NFL since. He played 32 career games with the Giants and Seahawks, starting 19.
