Just 16 days after he was conditionally reinstated by the NFL, Daryl Washington was released by the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals announced the move via their official Twitter account.

"After meeting with Daryl Washington, we have collectively decided it is best to release Daryl and give him the opportunity to continue his career elsewhere," the team said in a statement. 

Washington missed each of the past three seasons while suspended for repeated violations of the NFL's substance abuse policy. At the time of his reinstatement, the Cardinals indicated that they wanted to meet with Washington before deciding on his future with the team. 

"The National Football League today informed of us of Daryl Washington's conditional reinstatement," the Cardinals said in their statement. "Considering we have been prohibited from having any contact with him over the last three years, it would be premature today to discuss a potential return to the team. As everyone is aware, the 2017 NFL Draft is just days away, and that is where our energy and attention is fully focused right now. At the appropriate time, we will address the issue of Daryl Washington further."

After the draft, general manager Steve Keim said the team wanted to have an "educational briefing" with Washington and what he had been doing for the last three years. That meeting is apparently what precipitated Thursday's release. Now 30 years old, Washington might or might not find suitors on the open market, but he was one of the best linebackers in the NFL at one point in his career, before all the suspensions started.