[h=1]David Irving on future: 'I quit the NFL, I'm outta here'[/h]
ByPATRIK WALKER 12 hours ago
David Irving just made his retirement (un)official.
With NFL free agency rapidly approaching, Irving will join the ranks of those looking for new employment in 2019, barring the Cowboys stepping in and re-signing him to a new deal. Considering all of the variables, that scenario was highly unlikely
far before news broke on Feb. 18 that the club had come to a decision to let Irving walk. It was one year ago when they opted to place a second-round tender on him instead of a first-rounder, with the goal of seeing him prove himself for what could've been a hefty payday this spring.
It instead became a season filled with off-the-field issues and on-the-field injury, with the tender set to pay the veteran $2.91 million for just two games played.
Minus $495,000 for the four-game, unpaid suspension for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy — his second suspension in as many seasons, the first being for PED use — and Irving still made off with $2.23 million for a total of two tackles and one sack in 2018. All in all, he's played in only 10 of the last 34 games, has just 10 career starts in four years and was facing upwards of an indefinite suspension by the NFL for several missed drug tests. He's also currently being probed by the league for domestic violence allegations, with the front office having reportedly recently questioned by him and his child's mother, Angela Sanchez, about her 2018 accusations.
[David Irving rails against weed ban in NFL, accuses Cowboys staff]
It's all more than Irving wants to deal with going forward, and the veteran pass rusher took to Instagram Live to build on comments he made previously that included lobbing an accusation at the Cowboys' coaching staff, taking his stance to an entire new level as he openly smoked marijuana while making it clear he no longer has a desire to play in the NFL.
"So basically guys, I quit," he said. "They want to talk about a suspension and all this other nonsense. I'm outta there. I'm not doing this sh-t no more."
He went on to explain why he's choosing to continue doing the drug over what he feels is a conspiratorial regime in the NFL front office.
"I guess the same thing that'll make a little kid sip some liquor, or do whatever," he said. "The same reason an adult would choose to do it. It felt great. As a kid, it was one thing, but now that you're older and you do what I do — you hurt.
"I got two shoulder surgeries. Everyone was mad at me about my damn injuries. Y'all know I was in a damn cast? I was on crutches? I was in a scooter?
"I go through a lot of pain. I don't miss games unless it's physically impossible for me to play. ...Nothing helps better. ...It's much better than that opiate sh-t. ...I'd rather use something natural."
At this point, he again waved the marijuana at the camera, knowing full well what could come of the video. At the end, before signing off, he essentially said as much.
"We'll see what happens. They're talking about this CBA or whatever, we'll see how it goes. It was a scary thing, thinking about it all day — stepping away from football. I'm 6'8"and got all these tattoos and stuff.
"I don't have a college degree. I got a kid. What am I gonna do? And I've been thinking about it for awhile.
"I've just stopped thinking about it. Stepped out on faith. I went to church and all that. I swear I did.
"And everything has been working out great for me. I'm stepping out on faith. It always does. I know it will.
"I know all y'all probably think I'm crazy, but it's gonna all work out. The NFL is gonna be all over this sh-t. Tonight, probably. ...Let them eat it up. They got their little medicine rules and all that bullsh-t.
"And I say it's medicine because, like I said, I don't consider this a drug. It's medicine. I'm gonna have to step away. They're just setting us up — taking money.
"All kinds of BS. It is what it is. I knew what I signed up for, so I'm just on my single dad note. ...Everything's gonna work out. Little bit of prayer here and there. Little bit of medicine here and there."
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Irving signed off shortly thereafter, but there wasn't much more to say anyway. In a slew of recent social media posts and comments, he's shown he wants nothing more to do with the NFL, despite also making the prediction that "yes" the Cowboys would re-sign him for this coming season. It appears the reality of it all is now setting in, and the book has been closed on what could've been one of the more promising professional careers around.
The NFL is now done with him though, and he's now officially done with the league, although signs point to the latter having been the case for a long time now.