Word leaked early today that Cardinals linebacker Daryl Washington would miss the year, and now we know what for.
According to Darren Urban of the team’s official website, Washington was suspended a year for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.
That’s the same policy for which he was suspended the first four games of last season, and means this one was unrelated to his recent guilty plea and probation for assault on the mother of his child.
The loss puts the Cardinals in a bad spot on the field, as they’ll look to young Kevin Minter and old Larry Foote to fill in at inside linebacker.
“It’s completely unacceptable that Daryl has once again put us in this position,” Cardinals General Manager Steve Keim said in a statement. “We all know what the consequences are and will deal with them. From a personal standpoint, our hope is that this suspension will give Daryl the opportunity to accept the necessary help and guidance to get his life back on track and we will certainly support him however we can.
“As it pertains to our team, our approach is the same as it’s always been: next man up. We talk a lot about how critical depth is to a team because situations always arise where you lose players, whether by injury or other circumstances such as this one. One player’s absence is another’s opportunity. That approach has served us well in the past and we will rely on it now.”
For Washington, he has put his football career in jeopardy, and put himself in a position for the Cards to come after part of the bonus money he’s already been paid.