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Looks like Broncos receiver Wes Welker will have more time to recover from his latest concussion; he’s been suspended for four games after reportedly testing positive for amphetamines.
Welker’s not alone. He’s the second Bronco so far this year to violate the NFL’s substance abuse policy (kicker Matt Prater was booted for beer) and the 26th player overall, putting 2014 on the brink of becoming the most substance-suspension-heavy year in the past quarter-century for the league with more than three months to go.
Continue to see the video-enhanced list of all 26 NFL players suspended since January 1, along with the amount of punishment they received. That’s followed by a breakdown of suspensions per year since 1989, which graphically demonstrates that the league’s War on Drugs — be they performance enhancing or recreational — is ramping up, not winding down.
See also: Broncos Kicker Matt Prater: Shotgun Willie’s DUI + Two Beers = Four Game Suspension
Number 26:
February 19, 2014 — Indefinite — Fred Davis — TE — Washington Redskins
Number 25:
April 4, 2014 — 4 games — Jake Knott — LB — Philadelphia Eagles
Number 24:
April 8, 2014 — 4 games — Brandon Moore — DE — Washington Redskins
Number 23:
May 2, 2014 — 4 games — Frank Alexander — DE — Carolina Panthers
Number 22:
May 12, 2014 — 4 games — Stedman Bailey — WR — St. Louis Rams
Continue to learn about more players punished for violating the NFL’s substance policies — and to see the suspension breakdown for the past 25 years.
Number 21:
May 16, 2014 — 4 games — Robert Mathis — LB — Indianapolis Colts
Number 20:
May 30, 2014 — Entire 2014 season — Daryl Washington — LB — Arizona Cardinals
Number 19:
May 30, 2014 — 6 games — Will Hill — SS — New York Giants
Number 18:
June 4, 2014 — 4 games — Jayron Hosley — CB — New York Giants
Number 17:
July 3, 2014 — 4 games — Rokevious Watkins — OT — Kansas City Chiefs
Number 16:
July 3, 2014 — 4 games — Dion Jordan — DE — Miami Dolphins
Continue to learn about more players punished for violating the NFL’s substance policies — and to see the suspension breakdown for the past 25 years.
Number 15:
July 3, 2014 — Entire 2014 season — LaVon Brazill — WR — Indianapolis Colts
Number 14:
July 9, 2014 — Indefinite — Tanard Jackson — FS — Washington Redskins
Number 13:
July 11, 2014 — 4 games — Spencer Nealy — DE — Minnesota Vikings
Number 12:
July 23, 2014 — 4 games — Lane Johnson — OT — Philadelphia Eagles
Number 11:
July 30, 2014 — 1 game — Nigel Bradham — LB — Buffalo Bills
Continue to learn about more players punished for violating the NFL’s substance policies — and to see the suspension breakdown for the past 25 years.
Number 10:
July 30, 2014 — 2 games — Chris Lewis-Harris — CB — Cincinnati Bengals
Number 9:
August 8, 2014 — 4 games — Reshad Jones — FS — Miami Dolphins
Number 8:
August 11, 2014 — 4 games — Orlando Scandrick — CB — Dallas Cowboys
Number 7:
August 15, 2014 — 1 game — Dwayne Bowe — WR — Kansas City Chiefs
Number 6:
August 22, 2014 — 4 games — Donald Stephenson — OL — Kansas City Chiefs
Continue to learn about more players punished for violating the NFL’s substance policies — and to see the suspension breakdown for the past 25 years.
Number 5:
August 23, 2014 — 4 games — Matt Prater — K — Denver Broncos
Number 4:
August 27, 2014 — Entire 2014 season — Josh Gordon — WR — Cleveland Browns
Number 3:
August 29, 2014 — 9 games — Aldon Smith — OLB — San Francisco 49ers
Number 2:
August 29, 2014 — 4 games — Jakar Hamilton — FS — Dallas Cowboys
Number 1:
September 2, 2014 — 4 games — Wes Welker — WR — Denver Broncos
Continue to see the suspension breakdown for the past 25 years.
NFL substance policy suspensions by year
1989: 16
1990: 2
1991: 0
1992: 0
1993: 1
1994: 1
1995: 3
1996: 0
1997: 3
1998: 3
1999: 4
2000: 1
2001: 3
2002: 7
2003: 6
2004: 3
2005: 2
2006: 5
2007: 10
2008: 5
2009: 4
2010: 10
2011: 5
2012: 20
2013: 28
2014: 26…so far.
Send your story tips to the author, Michael Roberts.
