The Arizona Cardinals issued an unusually strong statement condemning Daryl Washington for the linebacker's second suspension in two years, leaving the organization in a bind.
The team's approach left us wondering on Monday's edition of the "Around The League Podcast" if Arizona was laying the groundwork to eventually part ways with Washington.
Coach Bruce Arians told reporters Monday that he won't talk about Washington again this season.
Washington was "very unaccountable," Arians said, via The Associated Press, "to his teammates, the organization, the fans and everybody else."
While the Cardinals' brass has taken a hard-line stance toward the 2012 Pro Bowl selection, quarterback Carson Palmer made it clear that teammates will welcome Washington back into the fold "with open arms."
"I think this locker room understands guys make mistakes," Palmer said. "Some mistakes are more detrimental than others and hurt you more than others ... I can't wait to see him. I know he's been through a lot and there's been a lot of crazy things but this locker room will give him a hug, welcome him back and be glad to see him back."
Even if the Cardinals plan to deduct a prorated portion of Washington's $10 million option bonus, as NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport has reported, he's talented enough that the organization will likely give him another chance in 2015.
Fair or not, it's a truism in professional sports that the rarer the talent, the longer the leash.
*The latest "Around The League Podcast" picks their favorites for Comeback Player of the Year and takes listener calls. *
