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The Buffalo Bills have taken another hit.
NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday that defensive tackle Marcell Dareus is facing a four-game suspension for yet another violation of the NFL's substance abuse policy, according to a source. The team confirmed the suspension via a statement.
Rapoport told NFL Network that the ban stems from "either failed or missed drug tests involving his use of marijuana," noting that the Bills learned about the suspension just "two hours" before the public.
Dareus issued an apology to his Instagram account shortly before the Bills announced the suspension.
If the punishment sticks, Dareus will be sidelined for games against the Ravens, Jets, Cardinals and Patriots before he is eligible to return in Week 5 against the Los Angeles Rams.
This latest setback marks the second league-imposed ban for the dominant interior lineman. Dareus served a one-game suspension to start last year's campaign, the upshot of a May 2015 arrest for felony possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.
It's a major disappointment for the Bills, who last year handed Dareus a seven-year, $103.2 million deal with $60 million guaranteed.
Bills coach Rex Ryan has endured a brutal second training camp in Buffalo, with veteran defenders Manny Lawson and IK Enemkpali and rookies Shaq Lawson and Reggie Ragland all going down with injuries. Second-year running back Karlos Williams also faces a four-game ban to start the year for a failed drug test.
The shorthanded Bills can't mask the loss of Dareus, who accounted for just two sacks last season, but was incredibly disruptive in 2014 with 10.5 takedowns. The Bills have Corbin Bryant and T.J. Barnes listed behind him, but the Bills are a candidate to shuffle bodies around and potentially add veteran help.
The embattled Ryan now faces ones of the biggest tests of his NFL coaching career.
The Buffalo Bills have taken another hit.
NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday that defensive tackle Marcell Dareus is facing a four-game suspension for yet another violation of the NFL's substance abuse policy, according to a source. The team confirmed the suspension via a statement.
Rapoport told NFL Network that the ban stems from "either failed or missed drug tests involving his use of marijuana," noting that the Bills learned about the suspension just "two hours" before the public.
Dareus issued an apology to his Instagram account shortly before the Bills announced the suspension.
If the punishment sticks, Dareus will be sidelined for games against the Ravens, Jets, Cardinals and Patriots before he is eligible to return in Week 5 against the Los Angeles Rams.
This latest setback marks the second league-imposed ban for the dominant interior lineman. Dareus served a one-game suspension to start last year's campaign, the upshot of a May 2015 arrest for felony possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.
It's a major disappointment for the Bills, who last year handed Dareus a seven-year, $103.2 million deal with $60 million guaranteed.
Bills coach Rex Ryan has endured a brutal second training camp in Buffalo, with veteran defenders Manny Lawson and IK Enemkpali and rookies Shaq Lawson and Reggie Ragland all going down with injuries. Second-year running back Karlos Williams also faces a four-game ban to start the year for a failed drug test.
The shorthanded Bills can't mask the loss of Dareus, who accounted for just two sacks last season, but was incredibly disruptive in 2014 with 10.5 takedowns. The Bills have Corbin Bryant and T.J. Barnes listed behind him, but the Bills are a candidate to shuffle bodies around and potentially add veteran help.
The embattled Ryan now faces ones of the biggest tests of his NFL coaching career.
