Cardinals place assistant coach James Saxon on paid leave amid battery charges at home

The Cardinals have been making a lot of noise away from the football field this offseason, and that continued Friday. Days later the wide receiver was Marquise Brown he was arrested and charged with speedingcoach Cliff Kingsbury he told reporters that running backs coach James Saxon has been placed on paid administrative leave while he faces two counts of domestic battery.

Saxon, 56, was originally charged in Indianapolis on May 25. according to ESPN, because of a May 7 incident in which the longtime assistant coach allegedly assaulted a woman in front of a child. Saxon faces two counts of domestic assault, including a Level 6 felony that carries a sentence of six months to more than two years in prison. A trial date could be set at an upcoming attorney conference on Aug. 25, per ESPN, two days before the Cardinals’ final preseason game.

“We are aware of the incident and have notified the NFL as required,” the Cardinals said Friday in a statement. “The matter is under review in accordance with league policies … We will have no further comment pending additional proceedings.”

Saxon posted bail after his arrest in May and was subsequently issued a restraining order as part of the case. He reported to Cardinals training camp in late July, and he was training the team’s fans as usual to start practice.

Offensive assistant Don Shumpert and personnel chief Kenny Bell are slated to fill in for Saxon in the interim.

Saxon has been on Arizona’s staff since 2019, as one of Kingsbury’s original hires. Prior to that, he spent five years as the Steelers’ running backs coach from 2014-2018. He also held the title with the Vikings (2011-2013), Dolphins (2008-2010) and Chiefs (2001-2007), most notably mentoring starters Priest Holmes and Larry Johnson in Kansas City.