Frank Alexander Suspended: Latest Details, Comments and Reaction

Carolina Panthers defensive end Frank Alexander has been suspended one year for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy, the team announced Tuesday.

Alexander, 25, was placed on injured reserve in August after suffering a torn Achilles. The former fourth-round pick was limited to only one game last season because of multiple substance-abuse violations. He was banned for the season's first four games and then tacked on another 10-game suspension before the initial punishment ended.      

Alexander has openly spoken about his problems with marijuana. In an interview with Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer in May, he admitted the most recent suspension was due to his fourth positive test for marijuana use. 

“I didn’t do it before I went to work. I didn’t do it at work. It was simply like after I got out of practice, I wanted to kind of relax and chill. It kind of healed my body up,” he says. “It wasn’t like a thing I was doing all the time. I didn’t need it to get up and go.”

Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk noted Alexander either hasn't given up marijuana or has found a replacement in light of the latest suspension.

Alexander was in the last year of his rookie contract, so he'll be a free agent after the 2015 season. In 29 career games, he's compiled 34 tackles and 3.5 sacks. Given his low production and substance-abuse problems, it's more likely than not that Alexander's NFL career is over.

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