Suspended Cowboys DL David Irving announces NFL retirement by lighting up blunt on Instagram

Given a choice between his NFL career and marijuana, it seems Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman David Irving is emphatically choosing the latter.

The 25-year-old announced his decision in apt fashion on Thursday, blasting the NFL and defending his weed consumption ... while apparently smoking weed.

Cowboys DL David Irving’s NFL career literally goes up in smoke

Weeks before becoming an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his NFL career, Irving was suspended indefinitely by the NFL for a third violation of the league’s substance abuse policy. The Iowa State product had been suspended for the first four games of both the 2017 and 2018 season for previous violations.

“I’m in the NFL because I’m great at what I do,” Irving said in a previous Instagram post. “I’m not in the NFL because I’m an Eagle Scout, or the perfect model citizen.

Not knowing what his next NFL team will be or when it will be, Irving decided to instead go on Instagram Live and tell fans he’s done with the league.

Warning: Irving uses profane language in the following videos.

“So, basically guys, I quit,” Irving said with a smile. “They want to talk about a suspension and all this other nonsense. I’m outta there. I’m not doing this s—- no more. It’s a lot of reasons.”

Irving then proceeded to affirm that he loves football, but the NFL’s presence gets in the way of that love. He did not deny he was addicted to marijuana, but instead noted he’d prefer to be addicted to weed over other types of painkillers.

“If I’m going to be addicted to something, I’d rather it be marijuana, which is medical,” Irving said. “It’s medicine, I do not consider it a drug.”

Irving also compared his plight to that of Colin Kaepernick, whose NFL career effectively ended when teams refused to sign him due to the quarterback’s protests for racial justice.

So that appears to be that for Irving, who has a daughter.

David Irving’s troubled career ends

If Irving has indeed played his final NFL snap, it will be the end of a career that has been a constant headache for the Cowboys.

Along with his multiple suspensions, Irving has made headlines for pronouncing that he was medicated in every game he’s played, missing multiple drug tests and taking a leave of absence due to a contentious custody battle. He was also accused of domestic violence, but his ex-girlfriend later recanted the allegation after hacking his Twitter.

While on the field, Irving posted 56 tackles. 12.5 sacks and 12 pass deflections in 37 career games. Per Spotrac, he made less than $4 million in his 4-year career.

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