Ben Steele, the Denver Broncos’ tight ends coach and a former NFL tight end, was charged with driving while intoxicated on June 7 in Loudoun County, Virginia, according to Loudoun County District Court records cited by ESPN reporter John Keim.
Steele faces two additional charges: obstruction of justice without force and refusal of a blood or breath test. The court records, surfaced by Keim on July 27, confirm all three charges stemming from the June 7 incident.
The refusal charge is its own animal in Virginia. Under the state’s implied consent law, a driver who declines a breathalyzer or blood draw after a lawful DUI arrest faces an automatic one-year license suspension — separate from whatever penalty follows the DWI conviction itself. It is a charge that says, essentially, you knew the test would not help you. Prosecutors tend to read that as consciousness of guilt.
Obstruction without force — Virginia Code § 18.2-460(B) — covers situations where someone impedes a law-enforcement officer without violence: stiffening up during an arrest, walking away, giving a false name, delaying the process. It is a Class 1 misdemeanor, carrying up to 12 months in jail and a $2,500 fine. The DWI charge carries the same maximum penalty for a first offense, along with a mandatory minimum fine and license revocation.
Steele, 47, played four seasons as a tight end in the NFL after entering the league as an undrafted free agent out of Fort Hays State. His playing career included stints with the Green Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks, and San Francisco 49ers. He transitioned into coaching and has held NFL assistant roles with the Broncos, Arizona Cardinals, and Atlanta Falcons before returning to Denver on Sean Payton’s staff.
The Broncos have not publicly commented on the charges. The organization has recent experience navigating coaching-staff legal trouble: outside linebackers coach Michael Wilhoite was fired in 2025 after an arrest for allegedly striking a police officer, though all criminal charges against him were later dismissed. Wilhoite remains the subject of a civil lawsuit filed by the officer involved, and reports in July indicated Denver was considering bringing him back in a different role.
Steele’s case remains pending in Loudoun County District Court. No trial date has been publicly reported.
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