Source: Crabtree charge is unlikely

Updated: January 20, 2013, 5:52 PM ET
By Adam Schefter | ESPN

One well-placed league source said he "highly, highly doubted" that San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree will be charged in the events that led to an investigation of sexual assault last week.

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A second female witness backed up Crabtree's version of the events to police, according to the source, and there's a feeling in the organization that these events will not develop into anything more than they already have.

Crabtree cooperated with police, interviewed with them for two hours, never was booked, never was charged, and the team doesn't believe he will be.

The team thought the timing of the announcement of the investigation, coming Friday night, was suspicious.

The 49ers insist that the events were not a distraction to the team, and it was just another reminder that players can be targets and they have to be careful.

Crabtree started in the NFC Championship Game against the Atlanta Falcons.

This season, Crabtree became the first San Francisco wide receiver to log more than 1,000 yards in a season since Terrell Owens in 2003. He had a career-best 1,105 yards receiving, including a single-game high 172 yards on eight receptions in a win over Arizona.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Adam Schefter

NFL
  • ESPN NFL Insider
  • Joined ESPN in 2009
  • Former president of the Pro Football Writers of America and the author of four books

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