Super Bowl Champion, Current NFL Broadcaster Arrested on Wednesday
The NFL is currently in the middle of the offseason, and one league analyst has reportedly been arrested.
According to radio host Andy Slater, NFL on FOX analyst and Super Bowl champion Jonathan Vilma was arrested this week in Miami. Slater says Vilma was driving with a suspended license, and that he was initially stopped because his tags were expired.
SLATER SCOOP: Former Miami Hurricanes star Jonathan Vilma was arrested on Wednesday afternoon in Miami for driving with a suspended license, sources tell me.
— Andy Slater (@AndySlater) June 4, 2025
He was initially stopped because his tag was expired.
Vilma grew up in nearby Coral Gables, and he attended the University of Miami. During his time with the Hurricanes, he helped lead the team to a national championship and earned All-American and all-conference honors.
The 2001 Miami team Vilma played on is considered one of the best college football teams ever, with 38 players going on to be drafted into the NFL. Seventeen players, including Vilma, were first-round picks in the NFL Draft.
Vilma began his career with the New York Jets, who selected him at No. 12 overall in 2004. The linebacker was traded to the New Orleans Saints ahead of the 2008 season, and went on to have the best years of his career.
Vilma helped the Saints win Super Bowl XLIV against Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts, and he made two of his three career Pro Bowls while playing for the Saints.
The linebacker was a central figure in the "bounty" scandal that affected the Saints in 2012, as reports suggested that the team was incentivizing intentionally injuring other players with cash payments.
Initially, Vilma was suspended for the entirety of the 2012 season. That decision would be overturned and Vilma played in 11 games that season, but the impact on the Saints as a whole was severe.
Sean Payton was not allowed to coach that season, losing a year of a prime Drew Brees at quarterback and a supporting cast that was primed for a deep playoff run each year.
Vilma called games in the booth for FOX last year with veteran play-by-play announced Kenny Albert, and the network appears to be content with its current broadcast pairings. Vilma is joined by other former NFL greats such as Tom Brady and Greg Olsen, and he's built on the experience he gained while working on college football at ABC and ESPN.