SEATTLE, Sept. 1 (UPI) -- Starting right tackle Chris Terry of Seattle has been suspended by the NFL for violating the league's substance abuse and personal conduct policies.
He will miss the first four games of the upcoming regular season. His suspension begins immediately, and he will not be eligible to return until Monday, Oct. 6. He will miss games against New Orleans, Arizona, St. Louis, and Green Bay.
Terry, 28, was a starter since his rookie year in 1999 with the Carolina Panthers, but was released last November because of personal problems and scooped up by the Seahawks. He had been accused of spousal abuse.
The Seattle Times reported that he signed a five-year, $19 million contract that included a $5 million signing bonus. The suspension will cost him more than half of his salary for this year.
The loss of Terry is another major blow for Seattle, which has lost starting cornerback Shawn Springs for the first two months of the season with a broken right shoulder blade suffered in the preseason finale last Friday against Denver.
