Cowboys linebacker Rolando McClain won't be returning to the NFL anytime soon. The NFL announced on Friday that McClain has been suspended indefinitely without pay for violating the league's substance abuse policy.

McClain, who was given a 10-game suspension in June, was supposed to return on Nov. 14, but that didn't happen because he reportedly failed another drug test. That failed drug test is what led to his latest suspension.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was actually asked about McClain's possible return in November, and at the time, Jones seemed to be well aware that another suspension was coming even though it hadn't been announced yet.

"Rolando is really somebody who helped us when he was here, but I really don't want to get into when or if he might be joining us," Jones said. "I've communicated with him several times in the offseason and talked to him on the phone. Yes, he does want to play, but there is more detail that I'm not going to get into right now."

The suspension announced on Friday marks the third time in less than 18 months that McClain has been suspended.

The middle linebacker was also handed a suspension in 2015, which caused him to miss the first four games of the season. After that, McClain ended up starting in a total of 11 games for the Cowboys last year.

Despite his success in 2014 and 2015 with Dallas, there's a good chance his career could be over.

The Cowboys linebacker has basically been on thin ice almost since the day he was selected No. 8 overall by the Raiders in the 2010 draft.

Since then, McClain has retired twice and been arrested three times. McClain's most recent retirement came in April 2014 after a very brief offseason stint with the Ravens.

After things didn't work out in Baltimore, the Ravens traded McClain to Dallas in July 2014. Although he did temporarily revitalize his career with the Cowboys, they've always viewed him as a risk, which is why they've only signed him to a series of one-year deals since his arrival.

McClain's latest contract, which he signed in March, was a one-year deal worth up to $5 million. However, thanks to his two suspensions this year, he won't see any of that.

The linebacker was set to get $125,000 for every game he was on the active roster plus another $1 million if he played in 75 percent of the team's defensive snaps. Due to the suspensions, McClain's contract for 2016 is basically worth nothing.