Dallas Cowboys

Dallas Cowboys' Rico Gathers Suspended for First Game Due to Substance Abuse Violation

Gathers can return after team's opener against the New York Giants

Dallas Cowboys tight end Rico Gathers has been suspended for the first game of the season due to a violation of the league's substance abuse policy, the team confirms.

Gathers will be eligible to participate in offseason workouts and games, but he will be ineligible for Sept. 8 opener against the New York Giants and will not be paid that week.

Barring no further surprises, he'll return to the team's active roster Sept. 9.

The team did not elaborate on what, specifically, led to the violation. However, on Aug. 31, 2018, just days before the beginning of the 2018 season, Gathers was arrested in Frisco on a charge of possession of marijuana.

Dallas Cowboys tight end Rico Gathers uses music to heal off the field. Gathers, who goes by "Rickaveli" when he raps, now has more than 100 songs written and produced for his own label, Rickadonna Records.
Pat Doney is counting down the days to the 2017 Dallas Cowboys Training Camp with a look at the 27 different story lines that he will be watching while in Oxnard California. #27 is Rico Gathers improvement in year two playing football.

Gathers, a 6th round pick in 2016 out of Baylor, caught three passes for a total of 45 yards in 15 games last season.

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The Cowboys currently have four tight ends on their roster and Gathers is once again fighting for a roster spot with the depth chart looking like this: Jason Witten, Blake Jarwin, Rico Gathers and Dalton Schultz.

The Cowboys have not said if he'll face any additional punishment from the team.

Cowboys tight end Rico Gathers has show flashes of what he “might” be able to do on the football field, but the former Baylor basketball star just can’t seem to put it all together. NBC 5 Sports Director Newy Scruggs and Cowboys Insider Jean-Jacques Taylor say Gathers' future with the Cowboys is very much in doubt.
Rico ‘Claus’ Gathers and the rest of the Dallas Cowboys load up gifts donated by players to the Salvation Army Angel Tree program.
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