According to the substance abuse policy, Stage 1 of the program is for no more than 60 days. Collins must have been in stage 2 and the duration of this program is as follows:
"(b) Program Review: Duration On a monthly basis, the treatment team will review each Player’s case and provide him with a status report regarding his participation in the Intervention Program. Such report may be conveyed by a case manager or others as appropriate, but should include an assessment of the Player’s engagement, Program expectations and prognosis for continued treatment, testing and/or discharge from the Program. A Player will remain in Stage Two until such time as he is discharged by the Medical Director following assessment and determination. Such determination shall be based 14 (2020) on the Medical Director’s professional judgment regarding the Player’s compliance with the Program, clinical progress and negative testing record. Any decision to discharge a Player from the Program shall be within the sole discretion of the Medical Director. Once a Player is discharged, he will be afforded the same status as a Player who has never been referred to the Intervention Program."
If it is true that Collins did not fail a test for 18 months then I am going to guess that he had an issue with the medical Director not discharging him from the program and this is why he may have stopped cooperating. But notice the criteria for being discharged involve both testing negative for banned substances AND "compliance with the program".
I do not like subjective criteria or relying on the judgement of individuals in cases like this. Bias is always a factor and it should not be.
But as others have said, the dufus who runs the NFL has supreme power to do whatever he wants and if he wants Collins suspended for 5 or 7 or 10 games, Roger gets what Roger wants.
