Given that he’s facing intoxication manslaughter chargers in the death of a teammate, Josh Brent’s playing status is the least of his concerns.
But sources told David Moore of the Dallas Morning News that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is expected to rule soon on a possible suspension, and that Brent won’t play for the Cowboys in 2013.
The club doesn’t want to comment on Brent’s status for the obvious legal reasons, though they have tried to support him after the crash which killed linebacker Jerry Brown.
But at a raw, pragmatic level, the Cowboys could use the $630,000 in cap space if he was off their roster or suspended.
A suspension seems likely, with the precedent set by the indefinite suspension which turned into a one-year ban for Donte Stallworth, after he struck and killed a pedestrian in 2009.
Stallworth has apparently reached out to Brent, and the Cowboys have offered emotional support. Even Brown’s mother has offered her forgiveness.
But all those things aren’t expected to be enough to keep him on the roster.