The Cardinals aren’t making plans for the 2015 season that include having linebacker Daryl Washington in the lineup, but there’s a chance that they will be able to fit him into their plans at some point.
Washington was suspended for at least a year last spring after multiple violations of the league’s substance abuse policy, which makes an application for reinstatement a necessary step if he’s going to resume his playing career. Washington’s agent Jordan Woy told Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic that his client plans to file that application “within the next week or so.”
Even if Washington is reinstated, the team won’t be assured of having him available for the start of the 2015 season. Washington will likely face league discipline under the personal conduct policy as a result of a guilty plea on aggravated assault charges last year. Those charges involved the mother of Washington’s child and the domestic violence aspect of the crime make him a prime candidate for his third suspension in as many years.
Washington was building a reputation as one of the league’s best inside linebackers before his troubles, which include a four-game ban in 2013. He’s still 28 and would have a future in the league if his skills haven’t eroded too much, although that remains a big hypothetical as long as Washington is barred from playing.
