Broncos release QB Chad Kelly after arrest for criminal trespassing

The Denver Broncos have released backup quarterback Chad Kelly after his Tuesday arrest on suspicion of criminal trespass.

The 24-year-old Kelly appeared briefly in court Wednesday, and a court date was set for Nov. 8. Kelly has not yet been formally charged. He had posted a $2,500 bond and was released after his arrest Tuesday.

Kelly stopped at the Broncos' complex, which is next door to the courthouse, about 24 minutes before his hearing Wednesday.

"This was a decision that we made as an organization," president of football operations/general manager John Elway said in a statement. "After reviewing all the information and in talking with Vance (Joseph) and Joe (Ellis), we agreed that releasing Chad was the right thing to do.

"Even though Chad's no longer part of our team, we've offered to help him however we can and are supportive of him in every possible way."

According to court records, a man and a woman told police that a stranger came into their Englewood, Colorado, home after 1 a.m. The intruder sat down on the couch next to the woman, who was holding the couple's young child, and was "mumbling incoherently," according to the records.

The man yelled at the intruder to get out and hit him in the back with a vacuum tube. Police surveillance video showed a man wearing dark pants, a white long-sleeved shirt with a brown vest and a red scarf around his neck entering the front door.

Kelly appears to have been at a team Halloween party hosted by teammate Von Miller.

The homeowner told police he thought the door was locked, but police found no signs that someone had forced their way inside.

Police said they found Kelly sitting inside a black SUV parked about a block from the couple's home after the man chased Kelly out of the home. Kelly matched the couple's description, and the man later identified him as the person who came into the house, according to court documents.

According to 9News in Denver, Kelly returned to Miller's party and was about to leave via Uber when he was apprehended by authorities.

Kelly did not have any tests done to determine if he had drugs or alcohol in his system when he was arrested, the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office announced. The office was responding to some reports that noted his booking form listed his BAC at .000 -- which is the default entry if no tests have been done.

The Broncos chose Kelly with the final pick of the 2017 NFL draft. Although Kelly brought an attitude that had often crossed the line in college, Elway said fellow Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly personally vouched for his nephew, so Elway signed off on the selection.

Chad Kelly missed his rookie season while recovering from knee and wrist injuries, then beat out former first-round draft pick Paxton Lynch last summer to serve as the backup for quarterback Case Keenum.

Kelly has played just one snap, a kneel-down on the final play of the first half against the Rams two weeks ago while Keenum was being evaluated for a concussion.

Kelly's arrest could put him in line for discipline from the Broncos or the league, which doesn't need a court conviction to mete out punishment for a violation of the NFL's code of conduct.

Kelly's spectacular college career was marked by off-the-field slip-ups, although he hadn't been in any trouble since the Broncos drafted him.

He was kicked off the Clemson team in 2014 after arguing with coaches during the spring game. He also was arrested after a bar fight in 2014, eventually pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct.

In October 2016, he was involved in a brawl at his brother's high school football game in New York. He ran onto the field after his brother, Casey Kelly, apparently took a late hit and video shows several coaches restraining him on the field.

Although he didn't play in the Senior Bowl after his final season at Ole Miss because of a right knee injury, he was in attendance all week in Mobile, Alabama, so he could talk with NFL teams about his off-the-field troubles.

At the time, he said being upfront about his missteps was important: "You've got to be honest, of course, but you've got to admit to what you did and you've got to try to convince them that you've learned from those mistakes and that you're not going to make them again. The owner doesn't want to hear about it. The GM doesn't want to hear about what you did. They want to know if you've learned from it and won't make the same mistake twice."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.