
Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman La’el Collins has received a five-game suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that the suspension stemmed from missed drug tests.
My understanding is La’El Collins was suspended for missing drug tests. Essentially, failure to appear. https://t.co/L4dL8GgRp3
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 10, 2021

Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reported that Collins and his representatives are “livid,” believing that the appeals process had not fully concluded despite both the Cowboys and the NFL announcing the suspension. Collins reportedly has further appeal options, which he is pursuing.
Collins and his representatives are livid. They believe the appeals process has not fully and finally concluded. But now both the NFL and the Cowboys have announced the suspension. https://t.co/0RQ8LAWY0c
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) September 10, 2021
The 28-year-old Collins is one of the core players on the Dallas offensive line. He missed the entire 2020 season due to a hip injury, but had been a fairly reliable presence in the lineup before that. The Cowboys valued him enough to make his new contract a priority prior to the 2019 season. He’ll certainly be missed as long as the suspension lasts.
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