Exclusive: Cowboys Not Ruling Out a Comeback For Controversial David Irving

In Our Exclusive Report, A Source Tells Us The Dallas Cowboys Are Not Ruling Out A Comeback For Controversial NFL Outsider David Irving

David Irving recently told Richie Whitt of CowboysSI.com, "I miss football, but I don’t miss the NFL. Because it’s all politics.'' And while many of us scoffed at Irving's suggestion that the NFL's new CBA that will decriminalize pot might re-open a door for him at The Star in Frisco, the Dallas Cowboys aren't scoffing.

The Dallas Cowboys are listening.

A team source on Wednesday morning told CowboysSI.com and 105.3 The Fan that Dallas is taking a "wait-and-see'' approach to Irving, starting with his stated desire to be reinstated into the NFL.

“A lot of behind the scenes stuff,” Irving said this week, obviously anticipating a change in those "politics'' while issuing an announcement on a pair of social-media videos that he's applying for reinstatement in the league. “I’m sure y’all saw the NFL said they’re going to change the laws. Everyone’s all excited. I was expecting it. I told y’all this shit was gonna happen and this is something we’ve been working for.

"Everyone’s been DM'ing me, asking if I’m going to go back. Well, let’s just say I’m in the reinstatement process right now. So we’ll see what happens.”

The Cowboys said goodbye to Irving at the end of the 2018 season alongside the NFL's trio of suspensions for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. Upon his indefinite ban last March, he said the Cowboys quit on him before he quit on them.

“(Then-)coach (Jason) Garrett told me I should just stop playing and to smoke all the weed I wanted because the team didn’t need me anymore,” Irving said. “It was pretty clear they were done with me.”

Irving is correct as it regards how the NFL is about to view marijuana. What we're not sure is "right'' is his goals, his wishes and his motivations.  The Cowboys aren't sure, either; despite his enormous talent as a defensive lineman, his own supervisors often questioned his "desire and love'' for the game. In theory, another look into Irving might reveal positives ... or more negatives.

But pending his possible reinstatement under new NFL drug guidelines, they are interested in learning more. A good place to start? Review Richie Whitt's CowboysSI.com recent one-on-one visit with David Irving.


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Mike Fisher
MIKE FISHER

Mike Fisher - as a newspaper beat writer and columnist and on radio and TV, where he is an Emmy winner - has covered the NFL since 1983 and the Dallas Cowboys since 1990, is the author of two best-selling books on the Cowboys.