Henry Ruggs’ possible road back to the NFL has become more difficult, but the timeline is clearer.
The former Las Vegas Raiders first-round pick is serving a three to 10-year sentence for a felony DUI charge and a misdemeanor count of vehicular manslaughter, stemming from a 2021 car crash that killed 23-year-old Tina Tintor and herdog.
Ruggs has spoke publicly about wanting a second chance in the NFL when and if he is given another opportunity. Several league sources had told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that they could see teams “kick the tires” on a Ruggs redemption.
On Thursday, the Las Vegas Nevada Board of Parole Comissioners denied his bid for parole this August, but he has a mandatory parole date set for Aug. 24, 2027. He will be 28 by the time of his mandatory parole date, which, barring any setbacks, would be the earliest he can begin the process of reinstatement.
It’s approaching five years since Ruggs last played in an NFL game in October 2021. A comeback would be unprecedented.
Ruggs’ rare disciplinary case
Ruggs is indefinitely suspended from the league. When he is granted parole, Ruggs can formally apply for reinstatement, decided upon by the NFL commissioner or an individual designated by the commissioner. The league can deny, approve or conditionally approve an appeal.
The league does not have any protocol in place for reinstatement and rules on a case-by-case basis. There is also no protocol that would require Ruggs to serve any further suspension. However, the NFL has handed down lengthy suspensions even after a player serves time in the justice system.
In 2014, defensive tackle Josh Brent was convicted of DUI manslaughter for a drunken crash that killed Dallas Cowboys teammate Jerry Brown in 2012. Awaiting trial, Brent retired in 2013 while facing up to 20 years in prison. He was ultimately sentenced to 180 days in jail in January 2014.
After his release from jail, Brent was conditionally reinstated September 2014 on the terms that he would serve an additional 10-game suspension. He returned to play a regular-season game in December, totaling 30 games missed amid his legal process and the league suspension.
Seperately, Donte’ Stallworth served a full season, 16-game suspension in 2009 after a 24-day sentence for DUI manslaughter, but did not miss any additional time.
To compare, Ruggs has already missed 78 games total, a number that will climb to 95 games after the 2026 season. Michael Vick, who served two years in federal prison for dogfighting, holds the longest sentence served by an NFL player who has managed to make a comeback.
The league has shown it’s open to second chances, but there hasn’t been much precedent for a comeback after a player has served more than two years in prison. His extended time served could help or hurt his appeal.
A conditional approval for reinstatement could force Ruggs to miss more time if it includes suspension, accordance with his parole and other demands by the league.
If the NFL were to reinstate Ruggs, he would still need a team willing to endure any public backlash.
“The team would want to understand how a guy with clean character coming out of college could get himself involved in a situation like this,” a team executive told the Review-Journal in June 2025. “Where did the behavior start going wrong? What are the changes he would make?”
Not only would Ruggs have to work his way back up to football shape, but also he would have to rehabilitate his public image. He would need a team that is willing to stand by him throughout that process.
Contact Trevor Squire at tsquire@reviewjournal.com Follow him at @trevordsquire on X.