ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) – Dallas Cowboys linebacker Rolando McClain’s on-again, off-again career could be over this time.
McClain was suspended indefinitely Friday for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy, his third suspension since the end of the 2014 season. That was his only full year with the Cowboys, although he missed three games with injuries, after reviving his career following a year away from the game.
The suspension likely means the end of McClain’s Dallas career. The 27-year-old McClain was on his third straight one-year contract but never saw the field for the Cowboys. McClain was suspended the first 10 games this year after a four-game ban to start 2015.
McClain was eligible to return for the Thanksgiving game this season, but owner and general manager Jerry Jones said he wouldn’t report to the team. Jones declined to be more specific.
“Rolando has got to work on his off-the-field situations before he can even begin to think about being a productive player on the field,” executive vice president Stephen Jones said on his radio show Friday. “We certainly wish him the best.”
The eighth overall draft pick by Oakland in 2010 out of Alabama, McClain had three disappointing seasons before the Raiders dumped him. McClain signed with Baltimore shortly after his release but retired twice while with the Ravens.
The Cowboys were looking for help at linebacker in 2014 after leading tackler Sean Lee sustained a season-ending knee injury in offseason workouts. McClain decided he wanted to play and came to Dallas in a trade just before training camp.
McClain had a career-high 108 tackles that first year with Dallas, second to safety Barry Church and good enough to get him another one-year contract. But the four-game suspension shortened his second season before the announcement in June that he was banned 10 games for another substance-abuse violation.
McClain has 479 tackles and 9 1/2 sacks in 345 games with 134 starts over five seasons.
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