Former Super Bowl MVP accused of domestic assault, pleads not guilty

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Former Washington Redskins quarterback Mark Rypien pleaded not guilty Monday to a charge of domestic violence against his wife in Washington state.

Rypien, charged with fourth-degree assault, was released without bail and is due back in court on July 31. Prosecutors asked for a no-contact order between Rypien and his wife but she argued against it.

The 56-year-old was arrested Sunday outside a bank on the north side of Spokane, Wash. and booked into the Spokane County Jail. A witness who saw the couple called police and said Rypien's wife alleged he had struck her outside a bank on the city's north side She was evaluated and did not need medical treatment, police said.

Rypien, who played for five different teams over 11 NFL seasons, said last year that he believes he has Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) caused by repeated concussions he suffered during his years playing football.

"I suffer from a complex stew of mental health conditions - dark places, depression, anxiety, addictions," he said in an interview with KHQ6 last year, "brought about from dozens of concussions and thousands of subconcussive injuries."

Rypien said that in the past he has attempted suicide and hired prostitutes as a result of his condition. He was a lead plaintiff in a successful lawsuit brought against the NFL by thousands of former players for its handling of head injuries in 2013.

Last year, Rypien told the Spokesman-Review newspaper that he was also involved in a domestic violence incident with his wife in 2017, saying he "got angry and I threw her on the bed a couple of times." He and his wife blamed a medication change for his behavior.

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Rypien played six seasons with Washington and was named the most valuable player of Super Bowl 26 when he threw for 292 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Redskins over the Buffalo Bills, 37-24. It was the franchise's third Super Bowl under then-head coach Joe Gibbs and their most recent title.

CTE can only be diagnosed by examining a person's brain after their death. Individuals who play football or other contact sports, as well as some military members, are thought to be at the highest risk for the condition due to repeated blows to the head, according to the Mayo Clinic.

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Numerous NFL players have reported a wide variety of problems related to CTE, including homelessness, erratic behavior, suicide and other early deaths.

Fox News' Tyler Olson and the Associated Press contributed to this report.