Mcclain will have some say in whether or not he eventually gets cut. He was in Stage Two of the NFL's substance abuse program. This is his second violation in Stage Two. He could have gotten a 6-game suspension without pay instead of only four games. Regardless, he automatically advances to Stage Three of the program after committing the second Stage Two violation.
He's subject to unannounced testing up to ten times per month now. Mcclain's stuck in Stage Three for as long as he plays in the NFL
unless he stays clean for a minimum of 24 months
and the NFL Medical Advisor discharges him. If he's successful with the latter, his status returns to one like any other player who has never been admitted to the program.
So, the decision to play football is largely up to him. Mcclain will receive an automatic 10-game suspension If he tests positive for marijuana in Stage Three. That's ten games period--regular, postseason and Pro Bowl. Another testing failure after that is an automatic 1-year banishment from the league. Only the league can decide whether to reinstate him after he serves the 1-year banishment and he would remain in Stage Three for the remainder of his career.
Barring injuries, Mcclain will remain on the roster as long as he sticks to his promise that he will not violate the substance abuse policy in the future. IMO, he knows his job security is extremely weak if he crosses the line again. 10-game suspensions and/or banishment are usually the last straw when there is an apparent pattern of behavior.From the team's perspective, I doubt the front office will cut Mcclain while he is in Stage Two
unless they are confident another linebacker could step up and provide his productivity without creating more shuffling of the LB starters.
https://nflpaweb.blob.core.windows.net/media/Default/PDFs/Active Players/Drug_SOA_Policy_9-29-14.pdf
http://www.***BANNED-URL***/sports/...-with-rolando-mcclain-s-4-game-suspension.ece