Braylon Edwards to play despite DWI
Braylon Edwards will play in the Jets' next game, he just won't be starting, despite his Tuesday arrest for driving while intoxicated. Edwards was arraigned on drunk-driving charges after being stopped
around 5 a.m. on Manhatten's West side. Edwards took a breathalyzer test and blew twice the legal limit.
Edwards will be allowed to continue as if nothing had happened, at least until the NFL decides on a course of action.
The decision to play Edwards came after a meeting between Jets head coach Rex Ryan, owner Woody Johnson and general manager Mike Tannenbaum.
"Braylon's actions clearly come under the purview of the league's substance-abuse policy," Tannenbaum said to the Associated Press. "This is going to have to run its course through the legal system, and any
discipline that occurs will be by the league under that program."
Due to the league's Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), the Jets had very little choice in their approach. Any punishment that the Jets handed down outside of the what the NFL mandates would have violated
the CBA.
The Jets couldn't suspend or deactivate Edwards without risking a violation. Even keeping the player active but not playing him in the game could be perceived as a punishment, which would be a violation.
Edwards and his teammates are coming off a massive win against division rivals, the New England Patriots and now face another big game against a division rival, the Miami Dolphins (2-0).
Edwards had a good game against the Patriots, scoring a touchdown and making five catches. He was penalized for taunting the defence after his touchdown catch, which angered coach Ryan.
"I told him that he played a great game and we would have given him a game ball, but we didn't because of those things," Ryan said Monday. "I love the way he played. He was really into it, but you're killing
us. You can't put the team in that kind of jeopardy."
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