Chiefs DBs Coach Dave Merritt Arrested for Domestic Battery

Chiefs defensive backs coach Dave Merritt was arrested Wednesday evening and is charged with misdemeanor domestic battery, according to court documents obtained by the Kansas City Star.

Merritt, 54, was booked into the Johnson County jail later Wednesday evening, and is due to appear in the Johnson County District Court on Thursday afternoon.

Thursday morning, the Johnson County District Attorney's Office filed a complaint against Merritt in which he was accused of "unlawfully, knowingly or recklessly" causing bodily harm to his daughter.

A spokesperson for the Chiefs told TheKansas City Star that the team is aware of Merritt's arrest but has no further comment.

Merritt has been the defensive backs coach for Kansas City for the last seven years. Prior to that, he was with the Cardinals in the same role in 2018. Earlier in his coaching career, he was a defensive assistant and later the secondary coach for the Giants, working for the franchise from 2004 to ‘17 and winning two Super Bowls. In his career, he's contributed to five Super Bowl titles––two with New York and three with the Chiefs.

Merritt had a brief career as a player in the NFL, too. A seventh-round pick by the Dolphins in 1993, he played three seasons in the NFL as a linebacker, spending time in Miami and Arizona.

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This story was originally published April 23, 2026 at 1:35 PM.