The Indianapolis Colts thought they had a promising young addition to their defense with the acquisition of Jonathan Newsome in 2014, however their hopes were dashed this week. The Colts released the 2014 fifth round pick following an arrest for possession of marijuana, according to ESPN.com. His charges included two counts of possession and police observed him handling the drug.
This was the second time in less than three weeks the Zionsville, Ind., police department was called to Newsome's apartment for loud music. On the morning of Jan. 31 the police were called to Newsome's apartment and found marijuana in his home, and a friend of Newsome's was charged with possession. Newsome's charges involve two counts of possession.
This is not the first time Newsome has been disciplined because of marijuana. At Ball State he was suspended for two games following an August 2012 arrest for possession when the drug was found in his wallet, according to Ballstatedaily.com. It is a sad way to see Newsome's time with the Colts come to an end especially since they desperately could use a productive, young, linebacker. In 2014 Newsome racked up 6.5 sacks and excelled in the playoffs when he sacked Peyton Manning and forced a game-changing fumble. In 2015 his play and productivity diminished leaving the Colts to cut his playing time.
In 2015 Newsome only registered one sack and 19 combined tackles. Newsome could see further discipline by the league especially if he is already in the NFL's substance abuse program. Newsome is likely to see a cold market especially if he gets hit with a 4-game suspension, however he could find his way onto a team toward the end of the summer. Newsome responded to his release on Twitter where he had nothing but kind words for the Colts organization.
