Patriots Tight End Aaron Hernandez Having A Rough Week Off Of The Field

The summer months always have to have NFL staffs on pins and needles. It's one of the few times during the NFL calendar that players aren't under the watchful and protecting eye of the team. When 20-somethings have a lot of money in their pocket and a ton of time on their hands, it can lead to a recipe for disaster. Every year, in the time between OTAs and Training Camp, players around the league get themselves in hot water.

While Bengals cornerback is dealing with his own issues, another prominent player has stumbled upon a couple of unsightly issues as well. It was recently reported that Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez was questioned by police about a homicide near his home in Massachusetts. Initially, Hernandez wasn't a suspect in the case, but things have taken a turn.

It has been learned that the victim was actually an acquaintance of Hernandez. So much so, that a rental car linked to the victim was under Hernandez's name. Reports say that the Pro Bowl tight end was "initially uncooperative" with police and that his house has recently been searched by authorities. The story continues to evolve and when it first looked like Hernandez wasn't necessarily involved in the incident, more occurrences are swaying the opinion from that initial notion. CBS Boston reports that Hernandez "hasn't been ruled out as a suspect" in the case.

Making matters worse for Hernandez is a lawsuit that is being filed against him back in Miami. A man claims that Hernandez shot him after some sort of scuffle in a car. Apparently, a bullet fired from a gun that Hernandez wielded grazed the man's face and caused major injuries. USA Today reports:

A complaint filed last Thursday in a South Florida district court by attorneys for Alexander S. Bradley alleges Hernandez aimed a gun at the plaintiff and discharged the weapon as the two were in a vehicle traveling from Miami toward Palm Beach, Fla., on or about Feb. 13.

According to the complaint, the two men had an argument in Tootsie's, a strip club in Miami. Bradley's attorneys allege Hernandez, who attended the University of Florida, was not legally licensed to carry the firearm, which they claim he pointed at Bradley. The complaint alleges Bradley has lost his right eye and has undergone multiple surgeries around his right eye to reconstruct that part of his face. Bradley is seeking damages in excess of $100,000.

On top of this, Hernandez is recovering from a shoulder scope that he had done this offseason. With Rob Gronkowski undergoing a back procedure of his own, the position group isn't looking very promising for New England right now.