NFL hits 4 players with bans

Gates, McClain to miss 4 games

New York Jets defensive end Sheldon Richardson, who played in the Pro Bowl last season, has been suspended without pay for the fi rst four games of the 2015 season for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. Richardson, 24, has 11 1/2 sacks in his two NFL seasons.
New York Jets defensive end Sheldon Richardson, who played in the Pro Bowl last season, has been suspended without pay for the fi rst four games of the 2015 season for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. Richardson, 24, has 11 1/2 sacks in his two NFL seasons.

The NFL suspended four players Thursday for violations of the league's drug policies.

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AP

Green Bay Packers defensive end Datone Jones has been suspended for the first game of the 2015 season for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy.

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AP file photo

Dallas Cowboys linebacker Rolando McClain is shown in this file photo.

San Diego Chargers tight end Antonio Gates, Dallas Cowboys linebacker Rolando McClain, New York Jets defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson all received four-game suspensions from the league, while Green Bay Packers defensive end Datone Jones will miss one game.

Gates' suspension is over NFL's ban on performance-enhancing drugs, while McClain, Richardson and Jones were sidelined for violation of the league's substance abuse policy.

Gates, 35, is an eight-time Pro Bowl player and has been one of the NFL's top tight ends for more than a decade. He will be able to return to the active roster Oct. 5, a day after the Chargers' game against the Cleveland Browns.

Gates had been slowed by foot injuries in recent seasons but has worked his way back to prominence the past two seasons. He had a team-high 77 catches in 2013 for 872 yards and 4 touchdowns, and last season he was second on the team with 69 receptions for 821 yards and a team-high 12 touchdowns.

Gates acknowledged in a statement released by the Chargers that he unknowingly took a substance that is on the NFL's banned substance list. The 12-year NFL veteran said he should have made sure what he was taking to recover from last season met NFL guidelines.

"I have always believed that ignorance is no excuse when it comes to these issues," he said in the statement. "I take full responsibility for my actions."

McClain's suspension is a significant blow for the Dallas defense.

The league had already handed down a 10-game suspension to defensive end Greg Hardy related to a domestic violence issue. Hardy has appealed his suspension, but if it isn't overturned the Cowboys will be without two key defenders when the season opens.

Dallas was counting on McClain to provide a physical presence in the middle, but he won't be eligible to return to the active roster until Oct. 5 following the team's Oct. 4 game against the New Orleans Saints.

McClain, 26, resurrected his career with the Cowboys last season after flaming out as the eighth overall pick in the 2010 draft by Oakland, retiring twice and sitting out the 2014 season. He had the second-most tackles on the team last season with 108 despite missing three regular-season games.

McClain apologized to the organization, fans, teammates and his family in a statement issued through the players association.

"I will not break the rules of my profession in the future," he said. "I regret my error."

McClain already faced a four-game fine for violating the league's substance-abuse policy, and the suspension will cost him at least $551,000 between his base salary ($176,000) and per-game bonuses ($375,000).

Richardson, 24, has 11 1/2 sacks in his two seasons in the NFL and is expected to be a major part of Coach Todd Bowles' defense.

He will be eligible to return to the active roster Oct. 5 after the team's Oct. 4 game against the AFC East-rival Miami Dolphins.

"This is something that can only be addressed by how I handle myself from this point on," Richardson said. "I don't want this to take away from what the team is trying to accomplish. While I won't be there at the start of the regular season, I will do whatever I can to support my teammates until I'm able to return to the field."

Jones, 25, will miss the Sept. 13 game at Chicago and will be eligible to return for the Packers' home opener in Week 2 against Seattle.

He was a first-round pick (26th overall) out of UCLA in 2013 and has been mostly a pass-rush specialist, filling in as an inside rusher on passing downs. In 31 games, he has 23 tackles, 5 sacks and 1 interception.

Sports on 07/03/2015

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