New Orleans Saints receiver sentenced in drunk driving case

New Orleans Saints receiver Deonte Harris was sentenced to a one-year probation after pleading not guilty in a drunk driving case Monday, per NOLA.com. The NFL said in a statement that Harris’ case “remains under review” and he could face up to a three-game suspension.

The case dates back to the offseason, when the receiver was pulled over in July at a traffic stop near his hometown of Baltimore. He was present at a court in Baltimore on Monday and his probation officially ends on Nov. 8, 2022.

“The court recognized that he was a fine young man with a great future ahead of him and accordingly, she gave him what is called probation before judgement, which is not a conviction under Maryland law,” Harris’ attorney William H. “Billy” Murphy Jr. told The Times-Picayune. “We are happy about the result and look forward to this young man having an exceptional career in the NFL and an exceptional life.”

In the past, the NFL has levied two-game suspensions after a first offense of driving under the influence. However, as laid out in the league’s new collective bargaining agreement from 2020, the punishment has been increased to three games. NFL discipline does not go into effect until legal cases are complete, which Harris’ now is.

Following the conclusion of the drunk driving case of the receiver, Saints coach Sean Payton provided a brief update on where he stands.

“We would acquiesce to league protocol and you guys will probably find that as quick as we would,” he said, adding that a suspension would be “out of our hands.”

Through seven games this season, Harris is the Saints’ leading receiver with 323 yards, already a career high. Set to become a restricted free agent this offseason, he has already missed one game due to a hamstring injury. The Saints (5-3) have nine games left.

After playing college football at Assumption University in Worcester, Massachusetts, the receiver went undrafted in 2019. The Saints took a chance by signing him, and he has already paid it off with one Pro Bowl appearance.

New Orleans travels to Tennessee to take on the Titans in Week 10, with kickoff set for 1 p.m. ET.