Rozelle Suspends Redskins’ Manley for 30 Days

Dexter Manley of the Washington Redskins was involuntarily put on the team’s non-football injury list for 30 days Wednesday by Commissioner Pete Rozelle for violating the National Football League’s substance-abuse rule. Manley will be eligible to play in the Redskins’ season opener Sept. 5.

Manley, who underwent treatment for alcohol abuse in 1987, met with Rozelle last Friday after reports that an illegal substance had turned up in his drug test. The substance has not been identified.

Manley’s attorney said the defensive end was not undergoing any new treatment but is continuing aftercare. Manley said he would not contest the suspension.

Team officials said, however, that they thought Manley could be an effective pass-rusher even if he must stay out of training camp for a month. They pointed out that in 1986, his best year, he held out for most of the exhibition season.

But the Redskins’ problems were compounded somewhat when Markus Koch, who would have temporarily replaced Manley as the starting left end, left camp, apparently for good, to join his uncle as a carpenter in Canada.