Cowboys safety Markquese Bell arrested in Prosper on drug charges

A Prosper traffic stop put Dallas Cowboys safety Markquese Bell in Collin County custody after officers said they smelled marijuana and found less than 2 ounces of marijuana and a THC e-cigarette in his vehicle. Bell was arrested near Prosper Trail and the Dallas Parkway around 10 p.m. Friday and booked on one felony count of possession of a controlled substance and one misdemeanor count of marijuana possession.

Prosper police made the arrest, and Collin County jail records showed Bell in the detention system during magistration the next day. He was released April 11. The felony count has been described in local reporting as a state jail felony, while the marijuana charge is a Class B misdemeanor. In Texas, a state jail felony can carry 180 days to two years in a state jail facility and a fine of up to $10,000. A Class B misdemeanor can carry up to 180 days in county jail and a fine of up to $2,000.

The case now moves into Collin County’s criminal process, where prosecutors and the courts will handle the next filings, hearing dates and any formal charging decisions. That means the Collin County District Attorney’s Office, led by Greg Willis, and the county court system are positioned to review the arrest paperwork, set the docket and determine what comes next procedurally. If the case advances, additional records could spell out the specific controlled substance tied to the felony count.

The arrest immediately drew attention because Bell is an active NFL player with a rising profile in Dallas. The 27-year-old signed with the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent out of Florida A&M in 2022 and is entering the second season of a three-year, $9 million extension. The Cowboys declined to comment in early reporting. Bell’s agent, Deiric Jackson, said, “Certainly let Markquese have his day like anybody else.”

The arrest also raises possible league consequences beyond the county case. The NFL and NFLPA revised the substances-of-abuse policy in December 2024, raising the THC threshold for a positive test and reducing some penalties, but a felony controlled-substance arrest can still trigger review under league conduct and substance policies. For Bell, the immediate path runs through Collin County court, where the criminal case will now determine whether the arrest becomes a larger legal problem or a short-lived one.