Jayron Kearse apologized Monday, saying he "just made a bad decision" that led to an arrest early Sunday morning.
The Vikings safety was pulled over while drunk and with a loaded gun in his vehicle, according to the State Patrol. He posted $6,000 bond and was released from Hennepin County jail on Sunday afternoon. He met with media members Monday at the Vikings' practice facility in Eagan.
"It's not a reflection of who I am as a person or what this organization stands for," Kearse said Monday. "The team and these fans deserve better. I definitely take this matter very seriously and I'm sorry for putting anybody in harm's way. I'm going to take the necessary steps to improve myself."
Kearse, 25, said he had not yet spoken with coach Mike Zimmer, who is not scheduled to talk with reporters until Wednesday. Kearse, 25, is in a contract year as a special teams captain, and has 16 tackles and two pass deflections in eight games.
He declined to discuss whether he'd play Sunday in Kansas City, which would likely be up to the Vikings; the NFL's standard is to wait for the legal process such cases before determining punishment.
"I just need to make better decisions," Kearse said. "It's not a reflection of who I am. People who know me _ know me well _ know that I'm the type of guy who just made a bad decision."
Kearse said "everybody's behind me" and clarified what he meant when saying supporters in the organization want him to "get better."
"I mean decision making," Kearse said. "I made a bad decision. Personally, obviously I'm shaken up after something like this comes out and you know it's not exactly who you are. Obviously, I'm shaken up about it, but I got my teammates and everybody behind me. Their support is big for me."
According to the State Patrol, Kearse drove around a construction barricade onto a closed section of eastbound Interstate 94 at Cedar Avenue, prompting a state trooper to pull him over shortly before 4 a.m. The trooper "observed signs of alcohol impairment" and determined his blood alcohol content was at 0.10%, above the legal limit. A loaded gun was found in the vehicle. Kearse was compliant during the stop, said Patrol Lt. Gordon Shank.
