The Dallas Cowboys defense probably didn’t need to take on any more hits, but defensive lineman David Irving is now facing a four-game suspension.
Mike Fisher of 105.3 The Fan was the first to report that Irving failed a test for banned supplements. The suspension isn’t official; Irving will appeal because he said he accidentally took the supplement.
The story takes a bit of an odd turn: The banned supplement came from a company Irving had a marketing deal with, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
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It’s rare to see a suspension overturned because the player claims he accidentally took a supplement. Assuming Irving doesn’t win the appeal and the suspension is made official at some point, it’s a blow to the Cowboys. Irving had some big games last season. He was named NFC defensive player of the week for a great game against the Green Bay Packers. Irving is big (6-foot-7, 284 pounds) and versatile and is a key piece of the Cowboys’ defensive line rotation.
The Cowboys should be fine on offense as they begin defense of their NFC East title. The defense is a bit more of a question, and it won’t help if Irving misses a quarter of the season.
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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
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