When the Ravens selected Ronnie Stanley in the first round of the draft, Eugene Monroe’s status as the team’s left tackle was put in doubt. The 29-year-old played only six games last season because of a shoulder injury that required surgery in the offseason and he was held out of organized team activities.
But the Ravens’ decision to release him Wednesday became much more than a simple football decision.
Monroe is the first active NFL player to support research of cannabidiol, even donating $80,000 to studies of its potential benefits for players.
The Ravens made it clear they did not support his stance on the issue, devoting two paragraphs within the team’s own news story of his release on his advocacy of medical marijuana, insinuating it factored into the team’s decision:
Monroe had surgery to repair a torn labrum (shoulder) this offseason, and used the time off to become the first active NFL player to openly campaign for the use of medical marijuana.