Ahmad Brooks charged, Ray McDonald indicted in sexual assault case

The worst offseason in the history of offseasons just got worse.

San Francisco 49ers linebacker Ahmad Brooks and troubled former teammate Ray McDonald have been named in a sexual assault case dating back to an alleged December incident at McDonald's home.

The Santa Clara County grand jury has indicted McDonald on one count of rape of an intoxicated person, and the county district attorney has charged Brooks with misdemeanor sexual battery against the same alleged victim.

The 49ers cut ties with McDonald last December amid a repeated pattern of run-ins with the law. But that didn't stop the Chicago Bears from signing McDonald to a contract this spring, only for them to release him after he was named in another, separate domestic violence incident.

Brooks was named in this case on Wednesday, and the 49ers said he was sent home from Denver, where the team was holding joint practices with the Broncos, and will remain home when the team plays its third preseason game there on Saturday.

"We take any charge against a member of this organization seriously and are in communication with the NFL," 49ers GM Trent Baalke said in a statement. "Ahmad is returning home to California and will not participate in Saturday's game."

If conviced, the 31-year-old linebacker Brooks faces up to six months in jail.

A civil lawsuit was filed in May against both men. The victim accused Brooks of groping her while she was intoxicated at McDonald's home before, the suit claims, McDonald carried her to his bedroom and sexually assaulted her.

McDonald, 30, could face a maximum of eight years in prison if convicted of rape. He previously had countersued the alleged victim for defamation of character after the 49ers released him.

McDonald's career almost certainly is over. On Brooks, we will have to wait and see how things play out — and how the team will handle the situation in the meanwhile. But for now, the offseason from hell continues for a franchise that has been snakebitten by injury, departures and a slew of arrests, charges and other legal troubles.

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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at edholm@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Eric_Edholm