INDIANAPOLIS _ Defensive end David Irving is most likely not the Dallas Cowboys' problem anymore.
The team has no plans to re-sign the pending free agent.
But he is still a problem for the NFL, as Irving is facing possible suspension from the league for violating the substance abuse policy, sources confirmed.
It would likely mark the third straight season that Irving has been suspended by the NFL, but this one could be the death knell to a career marked with questions about his desire to play.
Irving, 25, opened the 2018 season with a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy. He missed four games in 2017 after violating the policy on performance-enhancing drugs.
The Cowboys decided to move on from Irving after a tumultuous 2018 season that began with him missing OTAs and the offseason program dealing with personal issues, stemming from a custody battle for his daughter.
He was then suspended by the NFL for violating the drug test. He stayed away from training camp to get his personal affairs in order and rehab.
But the problems persisted even when he returned to the team after missing the first four games. He missed the fifth game for personal reasons and then returned to play two games before suffering a high ankle sprain.
He never played another game for the Cowboys and rarely showed up at the facility. Sources confirmed he missed multiple mandatory drug tests while he was away, so the news of a possible suspension is no surprise.
It does come after Irving took to Instagram on Monday night to declare that he wasn't a model citizen.
"I'm in the NFL because I'm great at what I do," Irving wrote. "I'm not in the NFL because I'm an Eagle Scout, or the perfect model citizen. I didn't put on a mask or kiss ass to be where I am. I'm here on natural ability. This is God's plan. Not mine. Trust me, I'm adjusting to it as well. Once I step on the field and stop performing, THEN we have a problem ... So does anyone have anything to say about my play?"
Will he ever play again?
