Former Cowboys defensive end is reinstated by NFL
It’s official: David Irving is back.
According to ESPN football insider Field Yates, the NFL has reinstated the former Dallas COwboys defensive end. He is now a free agent and can sign with any team at this time.
Irving walked away from the NFL because it did not allow NFL players to use marijuana. When Irving left, he had 12 sacks in 25 career games as a Cowboy.
Irving used to be on a trajectory for stardom, but his last two seasons saw Irving go from lethal defensive end to out of a job.
Back to back four game suspensions over the last two seasons took a toll on Irving’s career. One suspension was due to violating the league’s performance enhancing drug policy, while the other was the NFL’s substance abuse policy.
When Irving retired, he posted a video on his Instagram, going as far as saying, “I’m in the NFL because I’m great at what I do. I’m not in the NFL because I’m an Eagle Scout, or the perfect model citizen.”
Since his retirement, he has joined forces with the legalized marijuana commu8nity, agreeing with Ghost Beverage to launch two cannabidiol products under his name.
He later released “Shut Up and Tackle,” a docuseries that details the problems between the NFL and marijuana.
Irving credited head coach Jason Garrett for his life after football.
“He told me I should just quit,” said Irving, via Jori Epstein of USA Today. “Smoke all the weed I want. The team didn’t need me. I’m a distraction to the team.”
Irving is 26 years old. In four seasons, Irving has 56 tackles, 12.5 sacks, and 12 pass deflections. He could possibly make a return to the NFL one day, but that will never happen with the Cowboys.
For now, Irving seems adamant on activism for legalizing marijuana in his post-football life.
“People need to understand I’m not doing this: I didn’t quit football to smoke weed,” said Irving. “That would be idiotic. I understand that. It’s our wellness, about rights.”