National Football League

Report: Edwards implicated in bar fight

Published Aug. 4, 2011 1:00 a.m. ET

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NFL wide receiver Braylon Edwards could face legal trouble for his role in a fight that broke out at a bar in Birmingham, Mich., early Monday, the Detroit Free Press reported.

A statement from South Bar, in downtown Birmingham, implicated Edwards in the incident that saw two of his cousins charged with felonious assault after allegedly attacking two bouncers with a pocket knife and a fork.

"Braylon Edwards was present and involved, but it's an ongoing police investigation, so at this time, we don't have any further information," the bar confirmed Tuesday.

Edwards, 28, signed a $3.5 million, one-year contract Thursday with the San Francisco 49ers, The Associated Press reported.

The Free Press also reported that "privately, employees at South Bar said Edwards was spurring on his cousins rather than trying to get them to stop fighting."

Edwards' cousins, brothers Tre Lenard Wright, 19, and Edmund Jerrell Wright, 22, both pleaded not guilty Monday.

Birmingham police said they had no knowledge that Edwards — who is already on probation for a drunk-driving conviction in New York — was involved in the fight.

But police spokesman, Cmdr. Terry Kiernan, confirmed Wednesday that they might arrest a third person connected to the incident.

"The officers were taking the suspects into custody, and by the time they returned to the bar to get statements, everyone was gone," Kiernan said. "As time went on, we started hearing other people were involved in this."

South Bar employees, meanwhile, said former NBA star Jalen Rose was also present and attempted to break up the fight. A day after the incident, Rose began a 20-day drunk-driving sentence at the Oakland County Jail.