Jaguars wide receiver Justin Blackmon is suspended indefinitely for his latest violation of the NFL’s substance abuse policy and he’ll be eligible to apply for reinstatement before next season.
We’re starting to get some idea of what Blackmon will do between now and then. Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Blackmon will enter a rehab facility in response to the suspension.
While it’s not clear what Blackmon did to trigger the new suspension, heading to rehab is a way to signify a serious intent to change one’s ways before it becomes time to ask back into the league. Blackmon will also be subject to unnanounced testing throughout his suspension and a rehab facility should be a pretty good place to avoid the kind of behavior that lands you on the suspended list.
As Schefter points out, the NFLPA has been pushing for players to get treatment in the wake of substance abuse violations before disiciplining them, as in the case of 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith. That didn’t happen with Blackmon, but perhaps his trip to rehab can get him some help before he does more damage to himself or anyone else.