The Cleveland Browns may get their 2024 NFL Draft top draft pick, second-round pick defensive tackle Michael Hall Jr. out of Ohio State, onto the football field earlier than many expected after a domestic dispute ocurred in August.
Hall was put on the commissioner's exempt list on Aug. 27, and he was suspended for five games without pay, per The Washington Post. That means he could be fully reinstated by Cleveland's Week 6 matchup at the Philadelphia Eagles on Oct. 13. With Weeks 1-4 passing while Hall was on the exempt list, those games counted toward Hall serving his suspension. The rookie was able to enter the Browns facility while he was on the list, but he wasn't allowed to suit up for practices or games.
He pled no contest to a reduce charge of disorderly conduct, which is a fourth-degree misdemeanor in the state of Ohio, on Sept. 19 in Avon Lake Municipal Court, per The Akron Beacon Journal. Hall's original charge was domestic violence, knowingly cause or attempt to cause physical harm, a first-degree misdemeanor in Ohio, after his arrest. His punishment after plea was a $250 fine plus a two-year monitor/probation period with a 30-day jail sentence suspended.
The Browns are off to a 1-3 start in 2024 with their only win coming in Week 2 at the Jacksonville Jaguars (18-13).
