ORLANDO, Fla. -- A NFL player and former tight end with the University of Central Florida was arrested early Thursday morning in downtown Orlando on suspicion of marijuana possession.

Michael Antoine Merritt, 24, of West Palm Beach, was arrested after being spotted inside a vehicle in a parking garage on West Central Boulevard rolling what appeared to be a marijuana cigarette, Orlando police said.

Merritt, who was a rookie with the Kansas City Chiefs last season, saw the officer and placed something in his mouth, Orlando police said. An officer approached the vehicle, told Merritt to get out and said "spit it out," an arrest affidavit said.

Merritt got out of the vehicle, spit out a brown cigarette-like object and said, "All of this for a little bit of weed?" according to police.

A search uncovered a plastic bag with about 3 grams of marijuana in Merritt's shoe, the affidavit stated.

The cigarette tested positive for marijuana, and Merritt was arrested.