Kansas City Chiefs defensive backs coach Dave Merritt was charged Thursday with misdemeanor domestic battery, according to court documents obtained by the Kansas City Star. The Johnson County District Attorney's Office filed a complaint against Merritt, who was arrested Wednesday night, accusing him of "unlawfully, knowingly, or recklessly" causing bodily harm to a daughter, which constitutes a domestic violence offense, per legal documents.
Merritt has worked as the Chiefs' secondary lead assistant since 2019 and is a five-time Super Bowl champion as a coach. He has worked in some capacity for the Jets, Giants and Cardinals for nearly two decades prior to his arrival in Kansas City.
The Chiefs have acknowledged Merritt's arrest, but have not commented on the matter. He is scheduled for a court appearance Thursday afternoon.
Kansas City must replace nearly all of its production at the back end of the defense from last season, including two-time all-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie, who was recently traded to the Rams. Cornerback Jaylen Watson signed with the Rams as a free agent, while Cook earned a three-year deal with the Bengals.
The Chiefs ranked 12th-best in the NFL last season against the pass, but takeaways were an issue after only registering 10 interceptions — the second-lowest total in Merritt's tenure.
"With the style of defense we play, a lot of times guys have their backs turned to the ball, to the quarterback, so it's not as easy to have picks," Merritt said late in the 2025 season. "Overall, we've had some opportunities you'd wish you had back. Some of those tips and overthrows, you would love to capitalize on them. Definitely, we'd love to have more turnovers. We harp on that every week."
The Chiefs hold first-round picks at No. 9 and No. 29 overall and four overall in the top 100. Using at least one on a defensive back is expected. Since Merritt took over as defensive backs coach seven years ago, the franchise has drafted a dozen defensive backs.
This offseason, Kansas City has signed veteran defensive back Alohi Gilman, former first-round cornerback Kaiir Elam and Kader Kohou, who missed last season with the Dolphins as the team's starting nickel with a torn ACL suffered during the preseason.
This story will be updated when more information surfaces on Merritt's arrest.