Dallas Cowboys lineman David Irving banned for third time ahead of becoming free agent
Saturday 2 March 2019 10:34, UK
Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman David Irving has been suspended indefinitely for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy.
Irving joins defensive line team-mate Randy Gregory on the suspended list - Gregory having been handed an indefinite ban earlier in the week for a similar violation, the fourth of his career.
Unlike Gregory, Irving's time with the Cowboys looks to be finished as he will soon become a free agent and was not expected to be re-engaged.
Irving was banned for the first four games of the 2017 and 2018 seasons and could find his market limited as a result of the third suspension which, according to multiple reports, came as a result of a missed drug test.
Missing a test is counted the same as returning a positive test under the NFL's strict substance abuse policy.
Irving only played in two games last season, missing time for personal reasons during a reported custody battle and then suffering an ankle injury not long after returning to action.
Speaking before the suspension was announced, Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett said of Irving: "I don't want to get into any specifics with David.
"Obviously he's been dealing with some different things over the course of the last year and really was not part of our team last year. He's a free agent, as we know."
