Jeremiah Ratliff suspended for Chicago Bears' opening three games
Monday 24 August 2015 22:40, UK
Chicago Bears' Jeremiah Ratliff has been suspended for the first three games of the regular season for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy.
The 33-year-old defensive lineman will not be eligible to return to regular season practices until September 28th due to a drunken driving incident dating back to January 2013.
Ratliff pleaded guilty this May to a DWI charge after crashing his pickup truck into an 18-wheeler in Texas and was given one year of probation and fined $750.
He will miss the season opening game against the Green Bay Packers, along with the following fixtures against Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks, but will be available when Oakland Raiders visit Soldier Field on October 4.
"It's tough to sit out any game for any reason," said Ratliff, who is expected to lose $345,000 in salary and bonuses.
"Of course, a situation like this doesn't make it any easier. But I'm going to do what I have to do, and I'll come back Week Four and be ready to play."
The suspension did not come as a surprise to Bears head coach John Fox and he insisted Ratliff would still be "a viable part of our defense."
"It's something we've known about for a while," said Fox. "It happened a couple years ago. It's not a new incident, it's not breaking news. It was just a matter of time."
