ELIZABETH, N.J. - A gun charge against an NFL linebacker has been dropped because the man who said he gave him a weapon admitted he lied, the player's attorney said.
The charge against free agent Khaseem Greene was dismissed by a judge on July 17 after a request from prosecutors, NJ.com reported this week.
His attorney, Joshua McMahon, provided an audio recording to NJ.com of the other man telling detectives he lied about Greene's involvement in a shooting outside a nightclub in Elizabeth last December.
Jason Sanders' admission came the same day he told detectives that Greene was involved, but it wasn't included in a criminal complaint that alleged Greene was seen on camera handing him a gun, McMahon said.
Sanders is accused of firing into a crowd and remains jailed on aggravated assault and weapons offenses.
McMahon said the audio recording proves prosecutors moved forward with charges even though Sanders admitted he lied.
The prosecutor's office said it couldn't comment on specifics of the case while the case against Sanders is pending. Elizabeth's mayor and the police department declined to comment.
The Kansas City Chiefs released the linebacker the day charges against him were first reported in May. Greene signed with the team in January. Chiefs spokesman Ted Crews had no comment.
Greene, who starred at Rutgers University, last played a game in 2014 for the Chicago Bears, who selected him in the fourth round of the 2013 draft.
He appeared in 25 games with six starts over two seasons for Chicago. He had 60 tackles, one interception and one forced fumble to go with seven special-teams stops.