Bad news for the Dallas Cowboys -- starting tackle La'el Collins just got slapped with a 5-week suspension due to the league's substance-abuse policy.
It's gotta be heartbreaking for fans of America's team -- 28-year-old Collins missed all of 2020 due to a hip injury ... and had been having some stinger issues during camp this season.
Collins was stellar in Thursday's Week 1 opener -- a crushing 31-29 loss to Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
But, it's back to the bench for the 6'4", 320-lb. star ... with the team announcing the news Friday afternoon.
No word on what exactly triggered the suspension ... but NFL Network's Ian Rapaport says it may be due to missed drug tests.