NFL lineman Ben Cleveland arrested for permit violation, leading to Chargers cut

An Oconee County Sheriff’s Office report details that Ben Cleveland was pulled over at 9:23 a.m. on July 16 for traveling 72 mph in a 55-mph zone on a Georgia highway. After the deputy identified himself, Cleveland presented an old driver’s license, and dispatch later confirmed he held a limited permit because of a prior DUI. Cleveland told a second deputy he was not driving to work or home as the permit required, prompting officers to arrest him for violating the permit and for speeding.

He was handcuffed with two sets of cuffs due to his size, cited, and released from custody. Less than two weeks later, the Los Angeles Chargers cut the 27-year-old offensive guard, who had signed with the team in January after five seasons in Baltimore and had a DUI conviction from February 2025.