Banned NFL player says he will 'Kaepernick himself' over league's outdated attitude to marijuana

David Irving has quit the league after a succession of bans for using the drug which is legal in most NFL cities

Dallas Cowboys defensive end David Irving has said he is quitting the NFL before the league "Kaepernicks" him and forces him out forever.

Irving, 25, has been banned indefinitely by the NFL after a third violation of the league's substance abuse policy inside thee years. The league does not disclose details of substance abuse violations but Irving, who posted an Instagram video of himself appearing to smoke marijuana, acknowledged that it was his drug of choice.

“Basically, guys, I quit,” Irving said on Thursday. “I don’t want to talk about a suspension and all this other nonsense. I’m outta there. I’m not doing this s**t no more.

“It’s funny, you know, some people say: ‘Oh, you’re addicted to weed, you’re addicted to this and that,’” he said.

“I mean, s**t, if I’m gonna be addicted to something, I’d rather be addicted to marijuana, which is medical – it’s a medicine; I do not consider it a drug – rather than Xanax bars or the hydros or the seroquel and all that crazy sh** that they feed you.

“Like I said, it’s not about smoking weed. How many NBA players you see getting in trouble about this? How many coaches you see getting in trouble about this? How many baseball players? How many UFC players getting in trouble?”

Marijuana is legal for medical and recreational purposes in many US states now and research conducted by ESPN showed that 78% of the NFL's host cities boast legal weed.

There are reports that the NFL is ready to relax his policy but that will be difficult to do before the renegotiation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement - the league's central constitution - which is not due to expire until 2021.

That will come too late for Irving, it seems, who said he is taking himself out of the league so that they can't force him out: “I don’t think I’m a bad guy for choosing this route. I stand up for what I believe in,” Irving said.

“It is bulls**t. I’ll ‘Kaepernick’ myself before they ‘Kaepernick’ my ass.”

Colin Kaepernick last month settled his grievance against the NFL in which he alleged teams had colluded to blackball him from the league. An undisclosed financial settlement was reached, compensating Kaepernick for income he claimed he had been denied while saving some face for the NFL as their owners, coaches and general managers did not have to undergo the embarrassment of making under-oath legal depositions for the case.