Cowboys ‘Hard Knocks’ Star Suspended By NFL

Isaac Alarcon, an offensive lineman on the San Francisco 49ers has been handed a six-game suspension to begin the 2025 season. The NFL announced this week that Alarcon had violated the league's performance-enhancing substances policy.

He joined the 49ers last offseason and is signed to a reserve/futures deal which keeps him in San Francisco, but he has spent the bulk of his career on the practice squad.

Alarcon has yet to appear in a regular season game in the NFL.

During this suspension, he will still be allowed to participate in offseason workouts at the team facility and play in preseason games, but will be ineligible to suit up for Week 1-6.

Alarcon, a native of Monterrey, Mexico, started his NFL career with the Dallas Cowboys in 2020 thanks to the International Player Pathway program. He became a fan favorite as his journey was documented by the HBO series Hard Knocks.

During his tenure with the Cowboys, Alarcon attended four training camps and spent the 2020-2022 seasons on the practice squad. He was able to provide a roster exemption on the squad thanks to his enrollment in the program.

Once his time in the program ended, he stayed with in Dallas for 2023, but switched to defensive tackle. He played in three Cowboys' preseason games before being released.

Alarcon had received praise in Dallas for his remarkable journey to the NFL, but sadly that journey has reached a roadblock due to this suspension.