Robert Nkemdiche was a first round pick for the Arizona Cardinals in 2016. Herecently faced legal trouble in Georgia. Police arrested the former defensive tackle in February 2026 after a report of shoplifting at a Kroger store.
The incident began when an officer noticed Nkemdiche leaving the store with several large and rectangular objects hidden inside his sweatpants. He did not stop at the registers to pay. Police later caught up with him at a nearby gas station.
𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴: Former Cardinals DT Robert Nkemdiche was arrested for allegedly shoplifting groceries.
Robert walked out of Kroger’s with frozen groceries, candy bars, & almond milk in his pants.
Nkemdiche only made $13.8 million in his career. pic.twitter.com/dmUxeqjyAP
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) March 5, 2026
Although he no longer had the items on his person, officers found frozen groceries, candy bars, and almond milk scattered in the parking lots of the store and the gas station.
Kroger management chose not to file theft charges against the athlete. Instead, they asked the police to issue a criminal trespass warning. This means he is legally banned from entering that store again.
However, the police still took Nkemdiche into custody. They discovered he had active arrest warrants in multiple states, including three in Georgia.
Former Cardinals First Rounder Busted After Grocery Store Shoplifting Incident
Jan 9, 2022; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche (92) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
This incident is surprising because of his professional success. During his time in the NFL, Nkemdiche earned a total of $13,891,301. He played for the Cardinals, Dolphins, and Seahawks. Despite making millions of dollars, he is now dealing with serious legal problems over small grocery items.
An officer involved in the case described the unusual sight of the hidden items. The officer stated in the police report, “I observed a tall black male exit the Kroger with many large objects, square and rectangular shapes, inside of his sweatpants.”
Nkemdiche remains a person of interest for his outstanding warrants while the public reflects on his fall from professional football stardom.
NFL career of former Cardinals first round pick Robert Nkemdiche
The Arizona Cardinals selected Robert Nkemdiche as the 29th overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. He was a very famous player from Ole Miss. He played three seasons for the Cardinals. His best performance happened in 2018. During that season, herecorded 4.5 sacks and 32 tackles.
A serious knee injury slowed his progress. The Cardinals released him in 2019 after he failed a physical exam. He later joined the Miami Dolphins and the Seattle Seahawks. He also spent time with the San Francisco 49ers in 2022.
Nkemdiche earned 13,891,301 dollars during his professional football career. He eventually moved to other leagues, such as the USFL and the CFL. He played for the Edmonton Elks in 2024.