GREEN BAY — According to City of Green Bay Municipal Court records, Green Bay Packers defensive end Datone Jones was ticketed marijuana possession on Jan. 19 — the day after the Packers' loss to the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game — and paid an $880 fine a month later.
That would explain why [URL=http://www.espnwisconsin.com/common/more.php?m=49&action=blog&r=40&post_id=53391" target="_blank]Jones received a one-game suspension from the NFL on Thursday[/URL] for violating the league's substance-abuse policy, meaning the third-year defensive end will miss the Packers' Sept. 13 regular-season opener against the Chicago Bears.
According to the [URL=http://greenbaywi.gov/municipal-court-records/" target="_blank]Green Bay Municipal Court website[/URL], Jones pleaded guilty to possession of THC and paid his fine on Feb. 10, and the case was then closed. The case is considered a civil ordinance violation, not a misdemeanor or criminal conviction.
There was confusion as to why Jones received just a one-game suspension, given that the NFL substance-abuse policy does not specifically mention what ground there would be for a one-game penalty. [URL=http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/07/03/reason-for-datone-jones-one-game-suspension-not-known/" target="_blank]As pointed out by Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio Friday[/URL], St. Louis Rams running back Isaiah Pead received a one-game suspension two years ago, and it was later learned that he'd been arrested for marijuana possession.
A league source had said Thursday that a one-game suspension would indicate a violation of the policy without a positive test. An NFL spokesman did not return an email Thursday, with the Fourth of July weekend coming.
Jason Wilde wrote: