Good News for Justin Blackmon, Don’t Expect Him Back

There’s a lot of good news surrounding Justin Blackmon right now. The oft-troubled, but supremely talented receiver has checked himself into a treatment facility to overcome his substance abuse troubles that have seen him go from a lauded NFL rookie to an indefinitely suspended non-active member of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

First reported mike the Associated Press’s Mark Long, he notes:

"Blackmon was suspended without pay in November for repeated violations of the league’s substance-abuse policy. He was previously suspended the first four games of last season for violating the policy. He played four games before getting suspended again – at least for a year.NFL rules prohibit coaches and general managers from having contact with players suspended indefinitely"

So while we all dream of Blackmon coming back and lighting up the scoreboard with quarterback Blake Bortles, let’s keep in mind that the information comes with a pretty major catch: Justin Blackmon is still very much suspended. Don’t get your hopes up for a sudden about-face from the NFL regarding Blackmon.

The important thing here is that Blackmon is actively engaged in treatment of his own volition and that he is displaying the maturity and responsibility that is needed to move past his troubles. You can expect that will be taken into consideration by the NFL if and when they do review Blackmon, but the most important thing to keep in mind is that this is being done by Blackmon for Blackmon and that he will need support going forward.

The Jacksonville Jaguars showed their support for Justin Blackmon by not cutting him from their roster. While they moved on by pursuing new receivers in the draft, you have to imagine they are eager to see Blackmon back and ready to work as well. More importantly they must be eager to see him back sober and healthy. Owner Shad Khan has openly agreed, saying “We want him to get the help and really beat this.”

While Blackmon is doing well, we must not rush a process (especially simply to see him back on the field) that many people struggle with for their entire lives. I wish him the best and hope he can continue to do well in his program.