Suspended Jaguars receiver Justin Blackmon will reportedly enter a rehab facility
Jaguars receiver Justin Blackmon has twice violated the NFL's substance-abuse policy. (Rick Dole/Getty Images)
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Justin Blackmon, who was suspended indefinitely Friday for his second violation of the league's substance-abuse policy, will enter a rehab facility, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Blackmon, the fifth overall pick in last year's NFL Draft, will be eligible for reinstatement prior to the start of the 2014 season. He was also suspended for the first four games of this season for violating the policy.
The 23-year-old has been arrested twice for DUI, including a 2010 arrest while he was at Oklahoma State and another about a month after the Jaguars drafted him in which his blood alcohol content was allegedly three times the legal limit.
From ESPN.com:
The NFL has increased its awareness of players with recurring issues and has placed added emphasis on support, as opposed to just discipline.
The NFLPA also has been pushing for treating players rather than disciplining them, and has tried to steer players that need help into rehab facilities before disciplining them. San Francisco 49ers star defensive end Aldon Smith recently was released from an alcohol treatment center.