The NFL has concluded its investigation of Kansas City Chiefs defensive backs coach Dave Merritt and found insufficient evidence of a personal conduct policy violation, according to ESPN, citing NFL Network's Mike Garafolo.
There will be no discipline from the league, per the report. The update gives Kansas City a clearer status on a staff matter that had remained open after Merritt was charged earlier this year.
NFL Discipline Case Ends Without Penalty
ESPN reported that the league review centered on whether Merritt violated the NFL's personal conduct policy. The investigation ended without discipline after the league found insufficient evidence of a violation.
The report also noted that a misdemeanor domestic battery charge against Merritt was dismissed last month by the District Court of Johnson County, Kansas. Merritt had been charged in April after he was accused of causing bodily harm to his daughter, and he had pleaded not guilty.
That distinction is important. The league decision addresses the NFL's internal discipline process, while the dismissed misdemeanor charge covers the related court matter cited in the report.
Chiefs Keep Veteran Defensive Backs Coach In Place
Merritt has been with the Kansas City Chiefs since 2019, working on a defensive staff that has remained one of the franchise's more stable competitive advantages during its championship run.
Before moving fully into coaching, Merritt played linebacker in the NFL. ESPN described him as one of the league's best defensive backs coaches, and his resume includes five Super Bowl wins when combining his time with Kansas City and the New York Giants.
The Chiefs' defensive backs room has been a significant part of the team's recent identity, particularly in seasons when Kansas City has leaned on coverage versatility and young secondary players to support its pass rush. Merritt's continued presence keeps one of those position-group voices in place.
League Finding Clarifies Staff Status
The report does not create a football roster move or a game-week development, but it closes a league-discipline question around a prominent Kansas City assistant. For an NFL staff, those administrative outcomes matter because unresolved conduct reviews can linger over preparation, public messaging and personnel planning.
With no league discipline and the cited misdemeanor charge dismissed, the Chiefs move forward with Merritt's status clarified. The next football consequence is practical rather than dramatic: Kansas City retains a veteran defensive backs coach whose work has been tied to multiple championship staffs.