Minnesota Vikings linebacker suspended four games for PED violation

Minnesota Vikings linebacker Kentrell Brothers has been suspended for four games by the NFL, the league announced on Friday.

When the Minnesota Vikings begin their 2018 season in September, it will be without linebacker Kentrell Brothers.

The NFL announced on Friday that Brothers has been suspended for the first four games of the upcoming season due to violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances. The first game the young linebacker will be eligible to participate in will be the Vikings’ Week 5 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Brothers released a statement shortly after the NFL’ s announcement, apologizing for his mistake.

Drafted by Minnesota in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft out of Missouri, Brothers has never started in a game for the Vikings.However, he has made 26 appearances for Minnesota in the last two seasons, mainly as a role player on special teams.

Minnesota Vikings

Brothers is the sixth Vikings player to be suspended by the league for an off-the-field violation since Mike Zimmer was hired to be the team’s head coach in 2014 (it can be argued that only three of the violations were committed under Zimmer’s watch though).

Given his lack of playing time, the linebacker’s PED violation could possibly mean his time with Minnesota could be coming to a close shortly. Especially with the number of other young linebackers that will be competing for limited playing time with the Vikings next season including Ben Gedeon, Eric Wilson, and Reshard Cliett.

Brothers suspension may also cause Minnesota to use one of their upcoming selections in the 2018 NFL Draft on a linebacker. There was already a chance that this could happen, but it now seems even more possible after Friday’s news.

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Due to the suspension, Brothers will lose out on $148,235 of his 2018 base salary.