Philadelphia Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson has been suspended four games without pay by the NFL for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing substances by taking a medication he says he failed to check out properly.
The suspension was reported by media outlets last month and announced by the NFL on Wednesday.
Johnson started all 16 games as a rookie last season after being drafted No. 4 overall by the Eagles out of Oklahoma.
He said in a statement issued by the team that he "mistakenly and foolishly put a prescribed medication in my body to help with a medical issue" while he was training in April.
"I mistakenly failed to clear it with Eagles trainers and check the NFL list of banned substances," Johnson said. "I am extremely sorry for this mistake and I will learn from it and be smarter in the future."
Johnson is eligible to participate offseason and preseason practices and games but will miss the first four regular-season contests against Jacksonville, Indianapolis, Washington and San Francisco.
He can return to the active roster on Monday, Sept. 29.
"We're very disappointed to learn of his suspension," the Eagles said in a statement. "We have spoken to Lane about the details of the suspension. He understood what he did wrong and took full responsibility. The key for him, however, is to learn from that mistake and move forward with his preparation for the 2014 season."
[SportsNetwork.com]
