DeAndre Baker, who still faces eight felony charges related to an alleged robbery in Florida, has been included on the Commissioner’s List of exemptions.
Until Monday afternoon’s development, Baker hoped to report to the Giants’ training camp with other veteran players on Tuesday.
This is what Baker’s attorney, Patrick G. Patel, told SNY:
“He is in Jersey and is scheduled to go (to the camp for COVID-19) to the tests tomorrow,” Patel told SNY on Monday morning. “I don’t see that changing, but you never know.”
Obviously, it did change.
NFL.com defines the exempt list as follows:
“The Exemption List is a special player status available to clubs only in unusual circumstances. The List includes those players that the Commissioner has temporarily exempted from counting within the Active List boundary. Only the Commissioner has the authority to place a player on the Exemption List; Clubs do not have such authority, and no exemption, regardless of the circumstances, is automatic.
In general, that means Baker is on paid leave.
No charges have yet been formally filed against Baker. That’s different from the case of spot kicker Aldrick Rosas, who was charged with a trio of misdemeanors in an alleged hit-and-run traffic accident and reportedly cut by the Giants.
Baker will not count against the Giants list limit while on the exemption list.
Patel told SNY that he remains “optimistic” that the Broward County (Florida) prosecution will not press charges against Baker.
According to Pat Leonard, Baker will not be welcome at the Giants’ facility. Leonard tweeted:
Players on the commissioner’s exempt list may still show up at a facility and participate in some non-soccer related activities IF the team grants permission to do so.
However, the #Giants do not grant DeAndre Baker that permission. Therefore, it is not welcome to report on Tuesday.
