Buffalo Bills receiver Walter Powell has been suspended for a violation of the NFL’s performance enhancing substance policy.
The 25-year-old receiver is entering his fourth NFL season and was looking to make a name for himself under the new coaching staff. While this circumstance will place Powell more squarely on the roster bubble, it also allows Buffalo to delay their retention decision until Week 5 by placing him on the Reserve/Suspended list.
After the news was announced, Powell sent out a tweet with a statement explaining that he had, “mistakenly” taken a substance that cause the positive test:
I was disappointed to recently find out that I had mistakenly used a product that caused a positive result during testing. Although I’m frustrated with the result, I’ve accepted the league’s discipline of a four game suspension. I apologize to my teammates, coaches, the entire Bills organization and the Bills fans for my mistake. I will continue to give the Bills my best effort every day, and help contribute to a successful 2017 season.
This is an unfortunate break for Powell, whose great 2016 training camp and flashes in the regular season suggested a possible bright spot for the future. Powell will now have a tough road ahead proving his availability and accountability to the Bills staff.