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Cowboys' Rolando McClain suspended 4 games for violating substance abuse policy

Matthew Emmons / USA TODAY Sports

The Dallas Cowboys are going to have to get through the first month of the season without another key contributor on defense.

Cowboys linebacker Rolando McClain has been suspended four games for violating the league's substance abuse policy, the NFL announced.

McClain released a statement shortly after the news broke.

"I apologize to my family, the Cowboys organization, my teammates and Cowboys fans for my mistake," he said. "I will not break the rules of my profession in the future, and I regret my error. I look forward to returning to the field on week 5, when I hope to help my team beat the Patriots."

It's a significant blow for a Cowboys defense that outplayed expectations last year. Dallas was considering moving Sean Lee to weakside linebacker from the middle this season, but those plans may have to be put on hold with the McClain news.

McClain impressed last season after coming out of retirement, recording 86 tackles to give Dallas some stability in the middle of its defense. His play earned him another one-year deal with the Cowboys this offseason.

With Greg Hardy waiting on the ruling of his appeal for a 10-game suspension, the Cowboys are once again entering a season with some major question marks defensively.

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