Sheldon Richardson Suspended Four Games for Substance Abuse Violation

Sheldon Richardson of the Jets has been suspended for four games for substance abuse. Through the team, the defensive end released the following statement (via Mike Garofalo of Fox Sports):

"“I apologize for letting down my family, teammates, this organization and the fans. However, words aren’t enough. This is something that can only be addressed by how I handle myself from this point on. 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.”"

It goes without saying that this is a big loss for the Jets. Richardson made the Pro Bowl and was a PFF All-Pro last season. The team already had to adjust to no longer being headed by Rex Ryan, who, for whatever you can say about his aggregate talent as a head coach, knows that side of the ball. The silver lining is that this apparent league policy violation occurred now and they weren’t blindsided by it during the season.