Report: Rico Gathers suspended first game of 2019 season for violating NFL’s substance abuse policy

We’re in the middle of June which means now is the time of year that you typically don’t want to hear news about your favorite NFL team. Such was not the case on Friday as it was announced that tight end Rico Gather is suspended for the first game of the season.

This suspension is officially a result of Gathers’ arrest a year ago for marijuana possession. It’s actually quite amazing that it took the league almost 365 days to finally suspend him for it.

When this first happened many thought it would hinder Gather’s ability to make the roster, but he managed to not only do so last season but see actual playing time on top of it. That was in a Jason Witten-less world, though, and since the veteran has returned many have wondered what will happen to Gathers, a one-game suspension certainly doesn’t help his chances.

One game isn’t exactly the end of the world, but this still isn’t something that you want to see. Hopefully there aren’t anymore June or July Cowboys headlines headed our way unless they have to do with contract extensions.