Justin Blackmon isn't under contract with an NFL team at this time, but his aggravated DUI arrest Sunday morning could lead the league to discipline the Jacksonville Jaguars' rookie wide receiver.
NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told NFL.com and NFL Network on Sunday that Blackmon is subject to the league's drug and personal-conduct policies even though he hasn't yet signed a contract.
Blackmon, the No. 5 overall pick by the Jaguars in this year's draft, smelled of alcohol when an officer pulled him over shortly after 3 a.m. local time, according to police. Blackmon agreed to take a breathalyzer test and blew a .24 -- three times the state's legal limit for driving.
Though this is Blackmon's second DUI arrest in three years, the league likely will view him as a first-time offender of its policies. Under those circumstances, a suspension is unlikely, though -- as Vito Stellino of The Florida Union-Times notes -- Blackmon could be placed in the league's intervention program and receive an evaluation, possible treatment plan and random testing.
We did some digging and couldn't find an NFL player in the past five years who approached Blackmon's .24 on a DUI arrest. The severity of the situation might not change how discipline is handled, but it's an eye-opener nonetheless.
