Vikings player arrested for disorderly conduct in club during team's bye-week
The Minnesota Vikings are on their bye week, but when they resume play, they may be without the services of one of their backup offensive linemen. According to NFL reporter Andy Slater, Oli Udoh was arrested during the bye week from a club in Miami.
According to the report, the Vikings blocker spoke to a woman at a nightclub and then proceeded to follow her into the bathroom. When he would not leave her alone there, he was arrested.
SLATER SCOOP: Minnesota Vikings’ Oli Udoh was arrested on Saturday in Miami.
The NFL offensive lineman was talking to a woman in the bathroom line at a nightclub, followed her in, and then wouldn’t leave, sources tell me.
Udoh got charged with disorderly conduct and resisting.
He is officially being charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. While the Vikings lineman is not a starter, offensive line depth is crucial, especially for a team that is currently 5-1 and leading the NFC North.
It's unclear what legal ramifications are in store for the lineman. Disorderly conduct and resisting arrest are unlikely to be met with extreme punishment, so he may be able to pay a fine or do community service and avoid any jail time.
However, punishment from the NFL or from the team is possible. A fine, a suspension or even a release from the team he has spent his brief career with are possible. The arrest occurred last night, so no decisions have been made by the league or the team as of the writing of this article.
Where do the Minnesota Vikings stand now?
Heading into the bye week, the Vikings were 5-1 and two games up on the Green Bay Packers. At worst, they will be 1.5 games ahead of the Packers after this week's slate of games.
They're in a great position to make a deep playoff run. According to FiveThirtyEight, they have the third best chances of any team in the NFL to make the playoffs at 92%. They are clearly the favorites to win the division and also have the second-best chance of doing so in the entire NFL. FiveThirtyEight gives them an 84% chance of topping their division.
They have a lower chance of earning a first-round bye or winning the Super Bowl at 10% and 6%, respectively. However, their 6% chance of winning the championship ranks fifth of all teams, so they do still have fairly good odds. Minnesota will take their bye week to rest and heal and then resume their pursuit of the NFC North title next week against the Arizona Cardinals.