The Atlanta Falcons wasted little time making the decision to part ways with linebacker Barkevious Mingo, who was charged with sexual misconduct with a child on Thursday for an incident that took place in July of 2019.
Since the allegations first came to light over the weekend, Mingo and his agent, Chris Lewis, have remained adamant that the claims are false and baseless. Lewis released statement, as shared by ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Twitter.
Chris Lewis, the lead counsel for former Falcons’ LB Barkevious Mingo, called the accusation of indecency against his client, “a lie.”
Here is Lewis’ statement to ESPN: pic.twitter.com/GuuA0XiuoN
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 12, 2021
The Falcons gave their initial statement on the matter Saturday afternoon before releasing Mingo just a few hours later. Sports Illustrated reported on the graphic details of the case Saturday evening, and it’s easy to see why the team felt it had no choice but to release him.
Atlanta initially signed Mingo to a one-year deal back in March, which would have been the former first-round pick’s sixth team in six years. Mingo would have likely competed for a job at outside linebacker this season with the Falcons.
