Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury announced Friday that the team has placed running backs coach James Saxon on administrative leave. Saxon was charged in Indianapolis in May with two counts of domestic battery, one misdemeanor and one felony, for allegedly assaulting a woman in the presence of a child less than 16 years old, per court documents obtained by The Athletic.
Kingsbury said Friday the team was aware of the situation when it happened.
Saxon is waiting for a court date.
“We are aware of the incident and notified the NFL as required,” the Cardinals said in a statement. “The matter is currently under review pursuant to league policies. After consultation with the league office, James has been placed on administrative leave. We will have no further comment pending additional proceedings.”
According to ESPN, an alleged incident occurred May 7 beginning at an Indianapolis-area Costco and continuing at the home of the woman. A trial date could be set on Aug. 25.
Cardinals running backs coach James SaxonAPThe felony charge has a sentence range of six months to 2 1/2 years in prison with a potential fine up to $10,000. According to the woman’s account in the probable cause affidavit, reviewed by ESPN, Saxon pushed her repeatedly and caused her to fall into the garage door. The woman alleged that James yelled at her, “You got your gun? You might as well just shoot me now!”
Saxon was hired by the Cardinals in February 2019 and has been an assistant coach for 23 seasons. Prior to that, he played in the league for eight years.
