Michael Floyd reportedly violates house arrest by testing positive for alcohol

The Minnesota Vikings took a chance on wide receiver Michael Floyd, but the early results aren’t promising. According to TMZ, Floyd likely violated the terms of his current house arrest by failing multiple tests for alcohol.

“We are aware of the situation involving Michael Floyd and are looking into the matter,” the Vikings said in a statement Friday. “We are still gathering facts and will withhold any further comment at this time.”

When asked about the report Friday, Floyd denied the allegations:

Later in a statement, Floyd’s agent claimed the result came from the wide receiver drinking Kombucha tea, which contains low levels of alcohol:

Floyd, 27, was sentenced in February to 24 days in jail and 96 days of alcohol-free house arrest for a December DUI that led to his release from the Arizona Cardinals. He finished the 2016 season with the New England Patriots before signing with Minnesota in May.

A week after signing with the Vikings, his house arrest was transferred to Minnesota, allowing the receiver to join the team at OTAs. Earlier in June, TMZ reported Floyd asked to have his alcohol monitoring ankle bracelet removed so he could avoid injuries while training.

But that meant his ankle bracelet was replaced with random breath tests. If the reports of failed tests are true, he’d be subject to additional jail time.

While Floyd says that the report isn’t true, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Scottsdale City Court in Arizona has a hearing set for June 26 for Floyd, presumably to explain his failed tests to a judge.

Floyd was already subject to discipline from the NFL for his December arrest, and further legal trouble wouldn’t help his case. It also may hurt his standing with the Vikings, who signed the receiver to a low-risk deal and seemed convinced in May that he’d be able to avoid additional problems.

“Coach Zimmer and I are confident Michael Floyd has learned and grown from his past decisions,” Vikings GM Rick Spielman said after the team signed Floyd. “He has accepted full responsibility and is taking encouraging steps to improve. We have offered Michael the full support and assistance of the Minnesota Vikings organization and our player development programs.”

Floyd was a first-round draft pick for the Cardinals in 2012 and became a solid complementary player in Arizona opposite Larry Fitzgerald. In three seasons, from 2013 to 2015, Floyd had at least 800 receiving yards and five touchdowns, but his numbers tailed in 2016 before his release.

In two regular season games with the Patriots, he caught four passes for 42 yards with one touchdown but sat for all but one game in the postseason, including the Super Bowl.