NFL Players Off and Rolling...And the Hits Just Keep Coming

Compiled and Written By: Todd Stelzel, PackerToddsnEnds

Can you picture Aaron Charles Rodgers sitting down in his recliner at home, turning on Jeopardy and lighting up a "doobie," in order to relieve the bumps, bruises and headaches he sustained over the course of an NFL season? To tell you the truth, I can't "picture it"...but then again with all of the recent news about pot and NFL players...who knows what goes on behind closed doors.

Recently, Mike Freeman, Bleacher Report NFL Lead Writer wrote in an article dated June 30, 2015, that Marijuana use in the NFL is prevalent and pervasive. In the article titled, "Banned, but Bountiful: Marijuana Coveted by NFL Players as Invaluable Painkiller," he clearly outlines why football players in the NFL use the mind altering cannabis, instead of popping pills. Click on the title link above to open a new window and read the article. It is absolutely eye-opening and jaw dropping!!!

In a more recent article, Rob Demovsky, ESPN Staff Writer, reported on July 2, 2015, from Green Bay, Wisconsin, that "The NFL has suspended Green Bay Packers defensive end Datone Jones for one game. The league announced Thursday that Jones will miss the regular-season opener against the Chicago Bears for violating the league's substance abuse policy. It was not immediately known whether Jones failed a drug test or missed a test."

Given the one game consequence handed down by the NFL to Datone Jones, it is more than likely a minor substance abuse related infraction and not about Cocaine, Codeine, Vicodin or PED's.  After reading Freeman's article, I learned that the NFL's new drug policy forbids players to use Marijuana, yet for the most part has swept the issue under the rug with only random drug testing (prior to the start of training camp) and implements lenient consequences for smoking pot when compared to the use of other banned narcotic drugs by the NFL.

My thought...Now that the cannabis is out of the "baggie," no sense pretending we don't really know what's happening.  In other words, either do away with the policy or tighten up the policy, but don't sweep the policy under the rug.  The sooner it becomes less convoluted, the better it will be for all NFL stakeholders.