New Chicago Bears WR Brandon Marshall May Face Assault Charges

The Chicago Bears could now spend the 2012 season's first several games without newly acquired wide receiver Brandon Marshall.

ESPN.com reported early Wednesday morning that New York law-enforcement arrested the former Miami Dolphin early Sunday morning after a nightclub fight - just four days before the Dolphins completed the trade that has him Windy City-bound.

Quoting details from the New York Post, ESPN.com reports that bouncers removed Marshall and another unnamed player from the club. Marshall and a friend had allegedly scrapped with a group celebrating the birthday of a friend named Christin Myles. As Myles left, Marshall allegedly punched Myles in her left eye, though it's reportedly unclear whether he hit her intentionally, or aimed at a member of her group and missed.

Either way, Myles filed an incident report - the only one filed so far - citing Marshall as striking her, the Post reports.

Harvey Steinberg, Marshall's attorney, released a statement indicating that no such incident involved his client.

"Brandon Marshall was the key note speaker at a charitable event in New York. After the event was over, he, his wife and close friends attended a function at a local club," Steinberg's statement explained. "While at the function a fight broke out NOT involving Mr. Marshall or his friends."

Less than a year ago, Marshall's wife stabbed him in the abdomen following a domestic dispute. While a Denver Bronco, he was a party to a New Year's Eve fight that eventually led to the 2007 drive-by shooting that killed teammate Darrent Williams. He received a three-game 2008 suspension - lowered that August to a single game - for violating the league's personal conduct policy.

Though neither the Chicago Bears nor the NFL have officially commented, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has it within his power to suspend Marshall as a repeat offender.