New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman will miss the first four games of the 2018 season for violating NFL policy on performance-enhancing substances.
NFL officials confirmed Tuesday that Edelman would be suspended without pay for the Patriots’ first four regular-season games. ESPN had reported last month that Edelman was facing a four-game suspension.
Edelman, 32, missed the 2017 season with a torn right anterior cruciate ligament. He had 98 receptions in 2016, the third time in a four-year stretch that he caught over 90 passes.
Edelman will miss a home game against Houston, trips to Jacksonville and Detroit, plus a home game against Miami.
He will be eligible to return to the Patriots’ active roster on Oct. 1, enabling him to make his 2018 debut Oct. 4 against Indianapolis.
Edelman reportedly launched a “vigorous defense” over his suspension, focusing on the points that the substance he tested positive for was not recognized by the league and that the league mishandled “documentation and delivery” of test results. Shortly after Edelman was suspended, he issued an apology.
“I am very sorry – I don’t know what happened,” Edelman wrote on his Instagram post. “I’ve taken many, many tests obviously over the course of my career, and nothing like this has ever happened. I apologize to the Kraft family, my coaches, teammates and fans. As this matter is being appealed, I can’t say anymore but no matter what, I will be ready to play and pursue another championship with our team and for Patriots fans around the world.”
TERRELL OWENS has decided to celebrate his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame at Chattanooga, where he played college football.
The former NFL All-Pro receiver, who has said he was not attending the induction ceremony in Canton, Ohio, released a statement on Tuesday saying he would give his acceptance speech at his alma mater.
Owens was voted into the hall in February after being denied in his first two years of eligibility. His announcement last month that he was skipping the Aug. 4 induction ceremony at the Pro Football Hall of Fame is unprecedented by an enshrinee. He ranks second to Jerry Rice with 15,934 yards receiving and is third on touchdowns receiving list with 153.
PACKERS: Running back Aaron Jones was suspended for two games for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.
The discipline stems from a traffic stop in Brown County, Wisconsin, on Oct. 1, 2017, in which Jones was charged with operating a vehicle with a controlled substance in his system; speeding; and operating a vehicle without a valid license.
RAMS: Guard Jamon Brown has been suspended for the first two games of the season for violating the policy and program for substances of abuse.
49ERS: Linebacker Reuben Foster was suspended for the first two games of the season for violating the NFL’s conduct and substance-abuse policy.
The NFL said Foster will also be fined for violations from a weapons offense and misdemeanor drug charge that were resolved earlier this offseason.
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