49ers’ Bruce Miller pleads no contest to disturbing the peace

Miller was originally charged with spousal battery when he was arrested in March, but the charge was changed to misdemeanor vandalism. A release from the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s office described the incident between Miller and his former fiancé, in which the 49ers player allegedly threw her phone against a wall. The release said that the woman originally told police that Miller pushed her out of a vehicle, but no visible injuries existed and she denied any physical contact occurred in a later interview.

Following the no contest plea, Miller is now expected to return to offseason training activities with the 49ers, according to Barrows. Miller did not participate in previous OTAs while handling his legal issue.

The NFL announced a new domestic violence policy in 2014 after the mishandling of Ray Rice’s suspension that issues a six-game suspension for first-time offenders and a lifetime ban for a second violation. Miller’s case is reportedly under review with the league, but it’s anyone’s guess how the NFL will handle the case. David Fucillo of SB Nation’s 49ers blog, Niners Nation, wouldn’t be surprised with any type of punishment given to Miller.

I don’t think anybody can say with certainty what kind of punishment Miller might receive. If he stays out of trouble and completes his 16-week domestic violence counseling course, I could see the league imposing a fine of some sort. Of course, they also seem to randomly impose punishment as they see fit, so if they ended up deciding to suspend Miller, I can’t say that I would be entirely shocked.

Miller was a seventh-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft and has been the starting fullback for the 49ers for the past four seasons. While he has just 48 career rushing yards, he has 66 receptions out of the backfield and 599 yards receiving with three touchdowns.