PITTSBURGH — Steelers cornerback Justin Layne was arrested early Friday morning in Willoughby Hills, Ohio, and has been charged with improper handling of a firearm, a fourth-degree felony in Ohio.
Willoughby police Chief Matt Naegele said Layne was pulled over at 1:20 a.m. on Interstate 90 for driving 89 mph in a 60-mph zone. Willoughby is a suburb of Cleveland and located about 15 miles from the city.
During the traffic stop, it was discovered Layne was driving with a suspended license and that a warrant was out for another traffic violation for which he failed to make a court appearance, the chief said. Two male passengers were with Layne, and officers said they saw marijuana residue in plain view and smelled the odor of marijuana in the vehicle.
Officers also said they saw a loaded 9 mm Glock handgun in the center console of the Dodge Charger that Layne was driving. During interviews, it was determined that Layne would be charged for the improper handling of the firearm, according to police.
Layne also was cited for speeding. None of the men was charged with a drug violation.
Steelers spokesman Burt Lauten said the team is aware of the incident and is still gathering information. He said the Steelers will have no further comment at this time.
Layne, 23, is entering his third season with the Steelers. A third-round pick out of Michigan State in 2019, he played in all 16 games for the Steelers last season, mostly on special teams. Layne, a backup cornerback, played 261 snaps on special teams and 117 on defense.
Layne could be competing for a larger role in the defense next season. The Steelers lost two of their top four cornerbacks from last season and are searching for someone to play corner in sub packages.
Layne was bypassed on the depth chart by undrafted rookie free agent James Pierre, who played as the dime defensive back in the regular-season finale against the Browns and in the playoff game.
In 26 career games, Layne has 25 tackles.
