The Indianapolis Colts got some unfortunate news this week when backup running back Robert Turbin was cited for possession of marijuana.
An uneventful offseason for the Colts was interrupted just two weeks before training camp recently. Backup running back Robert Turbin was pulled over for running a stop sign in Logan, Utah and subsequently arrested for the possession of marijuana after the officer smelled it coming from the car.
A small amount of marijuana (in the form of a cigarette , or as the kids say, joint) and he was accompanied by passengers. In Utah, possession is a misdemeanor and could result in up to six months in prison and a $1,000 fine for amounts under an ounce.
The NFL still bans marijuana use, despite multiple states with team’s having legalized it or severely decriminalized it. Turbin’s arrest could result in a four game suspension and will most assuredly land him in the NFL’s substance abuse program which will require a multitude of random drug test with escalating penalties.
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We’ve recently seen players suffer indefinite bans for repeatedly failing drug tests.
This is a horrible mistake for a player that isn’t guaranteed a roster spot this season. Turbin played in just 10 games last season, with two different teams. He had just 199 rushing yards (albeit at a 4.0 yard per attempt average) and just a single touchdown.
He spent the prior three seasons with the Seattle Seahawks. Turbin has never been able to eclipse his rookie totals when he rushed for 354 yards in 2012.
While not completely pinning their hopes on Turbin to backup Frank Gore, he was a veteran player with a good shot at making the final roster. This will hurt his chances of making it through camp and paves the way for someone like Tyler Varga or rookie Josh Ferguson to snag the backup spot on the roster.
We’ll have more on Turbin’s status after the Colts release a statement or the NFL issues a suspension.