In the last four years the Cowboys have had by far the most players suspended, forcing them to miss by far the most games, of any team in the NFL.
The Dallas Morning News compiled suspensions around the league and found that the Cowboys have had 15 players suspended for a total of 100 games since 2014. The Browns, with 10 suspensions totaling 54 games, and the Ravens, with nine suspensions totaling 55 games, are the closest to the Cowboys.
Dallas’s suspensions include many players they added to their roster at a time when other teams wouldn’t touch them, including Rolando McClain, Randy Gregory and Greg Hardy. Cowboys owner and General Manager Jerry Jones hasn’t hesitated to take on player with character concerns.
The Cowboys’ suspension tally may grow soon: The NFL is deliberating on whether or not to suspend running back Ezekiel Elliott over an allegation of domestic violence, and linebacker Damien Wilson was arrested three weeks ago and charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
So while the Cowboys cut Lucky Whitehead after a shoplifting arrest that turned out to be a case of mistaken identity, most of the time they’re willing to accept players who get into off-field trouble. More than any other team in the league.