AP

Dallas Cowboys' Adam Jones, left, can't stop Arizona Cardinals' Larry Fitzgerald from scoring a touchdown Sunday.

The NFL has suspended Dallas Cowboys cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones indefinitely for violating the league's personal conduct policy.

Jones was involved in an alcohol-related altercation with a team bodyguard last week at Dallas' Joule Hotel.

The Cowboys traded for Jones in April. He was suspended for all of last season as a member of the Tennessee Titans after a dozen incidents involving police and six arrests.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, in a letter Tuesday notifying Jones, called it a continuation of "a disturbing pattern of behavior and clearly inconsistent with the conditions I set for your continued participation in the NFL."

The league is calling it an indefinite suspension without pay. Jones will miss at least the next four games.

Goodell will then determine the final length of the suspension following the Cowboys' Week 11 game against Washington on Nov. 16.

"We respect and support the decision of the commissioner," said Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones in a statement from the team. "I regret that this issue has brought negative attention to the Cowboys and the NFL.

"We move forward with a very clear knowledge as to what the process will be for a possible re-instatement. Adam is well aware of where he stands and what he has to do."

The decision on whether Adam Jones can return to play will be based on Jones' strict compliance with his NFL and Dallas Cowboys treatment plans as well as on evaluations of Jones' progress that will be provided to Goodell by clinical experts retained by the NFL, according to a press release from the NFL.

"It is disappointing," Jerry Jones said in an interview on the NFL Network.

The Cowboys owner said he called Adam Jones about 2:30 p.m. Tuesday. "I talked to him individually, and I wanted him to be sure to have the word from me before he heard about it."

The NFL's investigation comes six weeks after Goodell reinstated Jones from a 17-month suspension.

"He literally was brought back into the league with the understanding that we would have a zero tolerance to publicly having a negative issue under any circumstances," Jerry Jones said. "Adam agreed with the terms when he came back in, and it did give him every opportunity not to have an incident and to rebuild his career in the NFL, and he just didn't get there."

In reinstating Jones Aug. 28, Goodell said the player's participation in the NFL depends on demonstrating that he can conduct himself in a socially responsible manner, avoiding any other conduct that brings disrespect to himself, his team, or the NFL, according to the release.

For the Cowboys, the news comes two days after the team lost to the Arizona Cardinals in overtime, 30-24.

In that game quarterback Tony Romo broke a finger, punter Mat McBriar suffered a fractured right foot, running back Felix Jones and linebacker Anthony Spencer tore hamstrings and wide receiver Sam Hurd injured his ankle. All will miss at least two weeks, except Spencer, who is week-to-week.

Starting cornerback Terence Newman missed the game with a sports hernia and will likely miss three more games.

The secondary was already depleted before Jones' suspension with the injury to Newman and injuries to safeties Roy Williams and Pat Watkins.

The Associated Press contributed to this report