Arizona Cardinals offensive lineman Isaiah Adams has been arrested in Canada on multiple weapons charges just as the team prepares to open training camp.
Adams, 25, was taken into custody in Ontario and charged with four firearm-related offenses, according to an online release from the Durham Regional Police Service. The charges include possession of a firearm obtained in a crime, possession of a restricted or prohibited firearm, possession of a loaded firearm without a license and possession of a prohibited device.
The arrest immediately cast a shadow over the Cardinals’ preseason plans, with Adams expected to report for training camp as he competes for a bigger role on the offensive line.
Adams was one of four people arrested in the case, police said.
His attorney, however, is strongly pushing back against the allegations and insisting the NFL player did nothing wrong.
“Isaiah is completely innocent in this matter,” Adams’ attorney Adam Weisberg said in a statement. “He had no knowledge of any firearm, and he will be fully exonerated.”
According to Durham Regional Police, officers had been investigating a man believed to be in possession of a firearm and allegedly involved in drug trafficking. Police said the investigation concluded Friday, leading to the arrests.
Two of the other people arrested in the case were also charged with possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, according to the police report.
The Cardinals acknowledged the arrest but offered little detail as the legal process unfolds.
“We are aware of the situation involving Isaiah Adams,” the team said in a statement. “Out of respect for the process, we will refrain from commenting further at this time.”
The timing could hardly be more dramatic for Arizona.
The Cardinals are scheduled to hold their first training camp practice Thursday, and Adams was still expected to be at camp, according to a person familiar with the situation who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team is not publicly discussing the details.
For Adams, the arrest comes at a critical moment in his young NFL career.
The Ontario-born lineman, who is from Ajax, is entering his third season with the Cardinals and is considered to be in the mix for a starting job. Arizona selected him in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft out of Illinois, hoping he could become a key piece of the team’s offensive front.
Now, instead of simply fighting for snaps, Adams is facing serious legal accusations in Canada while his attorney insists he was unknowingly caught up in a situation involving others.
The case remains active, and the Cardinals appear to be taking a wait-and-see approach as training camp gets underway.
For now, Adams’ future on the field — and in court — is suddenly under a much brighter spotlight.
