WEDNESDAY, 3:45pm: Brent has filed an appeal on the decision to delay his reinstatement, though it’s not clear what the procedure for resolving that appeal is, tweets Florio.
TUESDAY, 7:32pm: Brent’s agent, Peter Schaffer, tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (on Twitter) that Brent will appeal the decision.
5:05pm: Josh Brent will be reinstated to the Cowboys but won’t be eligible to return until at least Week 11, according to Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report (on Twitter). The reinstatement is conditional, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network (on Twitter), so it will presumably be contingent on good behavior. Brent has five days to appeal the decision, as Ed Werder of ESPN (on Twitter) notes. Any prohibited alcohol-related conduct will likely result in immediate suspension for the defensive tackle and, potentially, NFL banishment.
Dallas was said to be bracing for a four-game suspension just days ago, but Brent has been hit with a heavier punishment than that. Still, given the circumstances surrounding Brent’s case, it would be a surprise to see him put up a major battle to get back on the field sooner. Brent, who was charged with intoxication manslaughter, served a six-month jail sentence and already voluntarily taken a full season off, so he might have a case to make for himself. By the same token, the league has come under fire for its discipline as of late. Ravens running back Ray Rice was given a two-game suspension, viewed as far too lenient by the public, for his domestic abuse incident. Meanwhile, Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon has been suspended for all of 2014 for a positive marijuana test.
Brent played in 39 games for the Cowboys between 2010 and 2012, recording 44 tackles and 1.5 sacks.