Chad Wheeler (born January 19, 1994) is an American former professional football player who was an offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the USC Trojans from 2012 to 2016.
At the end of the 2016 season, he was selected as a first-team All-Pac-12 player and was also chosen by Campus Insiders.
In college, he suffered multiple concussions, a torn ACL, and a bout of plantar fasciitis. He was not drafted out of college due to injuries and off-the-field issues but was signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent and made his NFL debut in 2017. He played for the Seattle Seahawks from 2019 to 2020.
Wheeler attended Santa Monica High School in Santa Monica, California. He played offensive tackle and defensive end.
College Career
Wheeler played college football for the USC Trojans football team from 2012 to 2016.
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On December 19, 2015, Wheeler was involved in an incident on the USC campus. Los Angeles Police responded to a call at 8:45 AM at an apartment in South Los Angeles near the USC campus.
The police arrived and a suspect, who was identified as Wheeler, was possibly under the influence of drugs and alcohol and was punching walls and windows in the apartment. After Wheeler injured his hand he ran out of the apartment, and then-ignoring the commands of police-ran back into the apartment.
NFL Draft and Early Career
Coming out of USC, Wheeler received mixed draft projections from NFL draft experts and scouts. Some analysts projected him to be a fourth or seventh-round pick, while others projected him to go undrafted and be signed immediately as a priority undrafted free agent.
Wheeler received an invitation to the NFL combine and completed all of the required positional and combine drills. On March 22, 2017, he opted to participate at USC's Pro Day along with JuJu Smith-Schuster, Zach Banner, Justin Davis, Taylor McNamara, Stevie Tu'ikolovatu, Adoree Jackson, Leon McQuay III, Damien Mama, and six other prospects.
Team representatives and scouts from all 32 NFL teams attended as Wheeler opted to run all of his combine drills again. He was able to produce a better vertical (24"), 40-yard dash (5.28), and 20-yard dash (3.05).
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Wheeler was ranked the 12th best offensive tackle prospect in the draft by NFLDraftScout.com. Wheeler was regarded as a top prospect based solely on talent but received mid to late-round draft grades due to his history of multiple injuries and off-field incidents.
Wheeler was not drafted out of college due to injuries and off-the-field issues.
On April 30, 2017, the New York Giants signed Wheeler as an undrafted free agent. On October 1, 2017, Wheeler made his regular season debut in the Giants' 23-25 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Wheeler entered the 2018 season as a backup tackle behind left tackle Nate Solder and right tackle Ereck Flowers.
Seattle Seahawks and Arrest
Wheeler was waived/injured by the Giants during final roster cuts on August 31, 2019, and reverted to the team's injured reserve list the next day.
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He played for the Seattle Seahawks from 2019 to 2020.
On January 23, 2021, Wheeler was arrested in Kent, Washington, on domestic violence charges.
Four days after Chad Wheeler, an offensive lineman on Seattle’s roster for the past two seasons, was arrested for an allegedly heinous attack on his girlfriend, the Seahawks said.
Wheeler was arrested early Saturday morning after police were called to an apartment by a woman who said there was a “physical fight” involving her boyfriend. She was hiding in the bathroom when she called police and said she was being “killed.”
The details of what allegedly occurred are horrific.
The woman told police that the alleged incident began suddenly when Wheeler asked her to stand and bow to him. When she refused, the 6-foot-7, 310-pound Wheeler allegedly attacked her, throwing her on a bed and strangling her with one hand while trying to smother her with the other.
When she tried to fight back, she said he grabbed her arm and twisted it, and she later lost consciousness for an unknown amount of time.
When she awoke, Wheeler was allegedly standing near the bed and said, “Wow, you’re alive?”
The woman ran to the bathroom, locked the door, and called police and family. Wheeler picked the lock, went into the bathroom, and began to apologize, which is where he was when police forced their way into the apartment.
An incident report said the woman’s face was bloodied, and one arm was hanging limply by her side when police found her on the bathroom floor.
Wheeler was initially uncooperative with police and arrested on a felony charge.
The woman was brought to a local hospital with a dislocated arm and other injuries.
Wheeler left King County Jail on Tuesday morning after posting bond - his bail was set at $400,000.
The Seahawks’ Wednesday statement makes it clear they just want to move on and wash their hands of it all, saying they’re “saddened,” not horrified or shocked or disgusted, by the details emerging against Wheeler, and that he’s no longer part of the team since his contract ended with the conclusion of the 2020 season. (It was later reported the Seahawks waived him.)
They also offered the phone number of the National Domestic Violence Hotline for those who may be in danger, and they encouraged Wheeler to get the help he needs, and anyone who may need immediate help with a mental health crisis to call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
News reports citing the police incident report say Wheeler has been prescribed medication for bipolar disorder but had not been taking it. That is a serious mental health concern, but that same National Domestic Violence Hotline declares that bipolar disorder does not cause one to become an abuser.
What Wheeler is accused of is heinous and inexcusable. It was, by pretty much any legal definition, attempted murder (though inexplicably he was booked on “suspicion of domestic violence”).
As many as one-third of women in this country have experienced some kind of physical violence from a partner, and one-quarter of men. Wheeler would not be an outlier.
Similarly, Wheeler’s behavior wasn’t exactly out of nowhere. While a student at USC, he had to be subdued by police with bean-bag rounds to end an incident in which he was punching walls and windows in the presence of his girlfriend and their baby.
Seattle put out its statement, and Carroll and Schneider are likely hoping everyone forgets about Wheeler before the next time they meet with media, perhaps before the draft. It’s in the past, they might say.
Seahawks Waive Chad Wheeler and issue statement after domestic violence arrest | Grio Top 3
Four days after the fact, the Seattle Seahawks released a statement.
Timeline of Events:
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| December 19, 2015 | Incident on USC campus involving Wheeler |
| April 30, 2017 | Signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent |
| August 31, 2019 | Waived/injured by the Giants |
| 2019-2020 | Played for the Seattle Seahawks |
| January 23, 2021 | Arrested in Kent, Washington, on domestic violence charges |
| November 9, 2023 | Wheeler was found guilty of a domestic violence assault against his then-girlfriend by a jury in King County, Washington. |
Conviction
On November 9, 2023, Wheeler was found guilty of a domestic violence assault against his then-girlfriend by a jury in King County, Washington.
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