Buffalo - Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Marcell Dareus was suspended for one game without pay by the National Football League on Thursday for a violation of its substance abuse policy.
The four-year veteran will miss Buffalo's season opener at home against the Indianapolis Colts but be able to take part in all off-season and pre-season workouts until the week of the opener.
"Last year, I made a mistake involving possession of a banned substance," Dareus said in a statement. "The NFL's discipline for this conduct is part of the drug policy, and I apologize to my family, my teammates, the entire Bills organization and Bills fans that I will miss one game as a result of my mistake.
"I will work intensely that week and will be extremely happy to contribute to a win in week two for the Bills."
In four seasons with the Bills, Dareus has started 60 games and made 202 tackles, including 28 sacks. He had 49 tackles and a career-best 10 sacks over 15 games last season.
Last month, Dareus pleaded guilty in a Buffalo suburb to two traffic violations stemming from a crash last May into a tree while allegedly racing a teammate. A plea deal saw all other charges dropped, including reckless endangerment, reckless driving and leaving an accident scene.
AFP
