Cut By Eagles, Josh Huff Tells AP He's Sorry And Doing Fine
ROB MAADDI, AP Pro Football Writer
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Two days after he was arrested on gun and drug charges, Josh Huff lost his job.
The Eagles released the wide receiver and special teams standout on Thursday, reversing course after coach Doug Pederson said he planned to play Huff against the Giants this week.
"I apologized for everything that happened," Huff told The Associated Press after he cut. "I have trust in God and I'll be fine."
Huff was charged Tuesday with possession of a 9 mm handgun without a permit and having a small amount of marijuana after he was pulled over for speeding on the New Jersey side of the Walt Whitman bridge.
Huff was also cited for driving while intoxicated by the officer. His attorney, Fortunato Perri Jr., said Huff is licensed to carry in Texas and the gun was not loaded when he was stopped Tuesday morning.
Huff apologized to his teammates on Wednesday and practiced with the team. Afterward, Huff told reporters he carries a gun because he doesn't trust people in his hometown of Houston and he has to protect his family. Huff also said he believes all athletes carry guns.
Howie Roseman, the Eagles' executive vice president of football operations, said Huff's comments didn't factor into the team's decision to let him go.
"We all care about Josh. It's disappointing we have to do this, but we're trying to build something here," Roseman said. "We felt based on circumstances or facts involved that it was the right move for our football team."
Huff is the second Eagles player arrested this season. Linebacker Nigel Bradham faces a misdemeanor concealed weapons charge after he was caught carrying a loaded gun at a Miami airport on Oct. 2. Bradham wasn't disciplined by the team.
"The situations and the circumstances were different than Nigel," Roseman said.
A third-round pick out of Oregon in 2014, Huff has two kickoff returns for touchdowns in his career, including a 98-yarder against Minnesota on Oct. 23. He has 13 catches for 72 yards and one touchdown this season.
"No doubt he was coming along as a player and that he helps this team, but we have to do what's in best interest of this organization," Roseman said.
The 25-year-old Huff overcame a difficult childhood to reach the NFL. He grew up with a drug-addicted mother who was in and out of jail. Huff has said his mother had a violent temper and once tried to kill him on his 18th birthday by swinging a two-by-four his head.
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