The Panthers and Vikings are shielding star players awaiting trial on the commissioner’s exempt list. The Ravens cut Ray Rice after video of him punching out his wife became public. The 49ers, on the other hand, are leaving Ray McDonald on the field while he’s investigated for domestic violence.
But the Cowboys have made it clear to their players what will happen to them.
According to Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News, coach Jason Garrett said he told his players they won’t be allowed to play in games upon charges, regardless any due process.
“Part of what our jobs are as coaches is to create the right environment for our players to function both on and off the field,” Garrett said. “So we need to be clear about where we are. We need to be clear that we have a structure in place to help anybody who has any off-the-field issues.
“Me as a coach, position coaches, player programs, departments, we have a lot of resources here to help guys. So that was the first message, if you’re dealing with anything off the field and we can help with, we’re here for you. Having said that, there are standards that we have about all off-the-field behavior and certainly domestic violence applies to that. We’re just very clear with how we’re going to handle things.”
He may get an immediate chance to put that theory in play, with the accusations of sexual assault against defensive back C.J. Spillman.
Of course, Spillman doesn’t benefit from being central to the team’s fortunes, so it might be easier to make an example of him.