Troubled Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Justin Blackmon will not play again this season after committing another violation of the NFL's substance abuse policy, the league announced Friday.
The suspension begins immediately, and Blackmon can apply to be reinstated before the 2014 season.
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Blackmon issued a statement through his agents in which he apologized to Jaguars owner Tony Kahn, his teammates, coaches and Jacksonville fans for "not utilizing the resources that I was provided to overcome my challenges."
"I am determined to overcome the issues that have resulted in this situation, and I truly appreciate the support that the Jaguars and my agent have shown me," Blackmon said in the statement. "I will address these matters with the type of intensity I usually direct toward my on-field play so that I can be a productive member of the team and the community next season."
Blackmon already served a four-game suspension to start this season, punishment for a 2012 drunk driving charge to which he plead guilty in April. That arrest landed Blackmon in the league's substance abuse program, where he would be subject to frequent and random urine testing.
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Blackmon, 23, also was arrested on a DUI charge while in college at Oklahoma State.
If he is reinstated for the 2014 season, Blackmon will be evaluated by the Jaguars, though general manager Dave Caldwell indicated in a statement released Friday that the organization will support Blackmon through this latest ordeal.
"All of us who are part of the Jaguars family care very deeply about Justin and his well being. That said, he must be held accountable and accept the consequences announced today by the NFL," Caldwell said. "His suspension will provide him the opportunity to receive the attention and professional treatment necessary to overcome the challenges, and we will support him during this time. The Jacksonville Jaguars will evaluate Justin's status once he has successfully met the criteria to be considered for reinstatement to the league."
Blackmon had appeared to be making personal progress during and after his four-game suspension to start this season. When he returned to the field in early October, he immediately reminded the Jaguars why they drafted him No. 5 overall in 2012, with 29 catches for 419 yards and one touchdown since.
Blackmon's punishment for pleading guilty to the DUI included submitting to three urine tests a month for six months and placing an ignition interlock device in his car for two years.
