Former NFL player Chad Wheeler sentenced to 81 months in prison for assaulting girlfriend

Ex-Seattle Seahawks offensive lineman Chad Wheeler was sentenced to 81 months in state prison on Friday after being convicted of first-degree and second-degree assault and domestic violence.

This conviction stems from a 2021 incident between Wheeler and his then-girlfriend. It was shown that he "used force or means likely to result in death," landing him a conviction of first-degree assault/domestic violence.

That is a Class-A felony with a mandatory minimum sentence of 60 months. Of course, he didn't get the minimum sentence due to the nature of his crime.

Prosecutors wanted a sentence of 108 months, which was in the middle of the allowed sentence range. Instead, Wheeler got a sentence in between the minimum and the time sought by the prosecution.

Wheeler will also have to do 36 months of probation and undergo a mental health evaluation, and he will also pay restitution to his victim.

Wheeler's victim, Alleah Taylor, testified that she was choked out twice by him and that he was surprised when she regained consciousness as he believed he had killed her. While it's possible that the episode was caused by Wheeler's mental issues, there's no doubt that he needed to do some real time for his terrifying attack on Taylor.