The NFL has slapped a four-game suspension on Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Michael Floyd for violating the league's Substance Abuse policy. According to the NFL, Floyd will sit out the first four games of the 2017 season. He will be eligible for return on October 2 after the Vikings play the Detroit Lions. Despite the suspension, the 27-year-old Floyd can participate in all preseason practices and games.
The Arizona Cardinals cut Floyd after he was arrested for extreme DUI when police found him unconscious behind the wheel of his SUV in December.
He entered a guilty plea in February, serving the first 24 days of his 120-day jail sentence at a county facility and spent the final 96 days via house arrest. Aside from this, the judge ordered Floyd not to drink alcohol and to attend alcohol counseling and perform 30 hours of community service, on top of paying a fine of $5,115.99.
Floyd claimed positive alcohol test due to tea
Floyd was claimed by the Patriots off waivers but they did not re-sign him in the offseason. In May, Floyd signed a one-year deal with the Vikings but he got into trouble the following month after he was tested positive for alcohol while on house arrest. Floyd maintained that he didn’t consume alcohol but blamed the positive test on the Kombucha tea that he drank.
Floyd claimed the tea contained alcohol while the team backed up his reasoning. Despite this, Floyd was sentenced to one day in jail for violating the terms of his probation. According to NFL.com, Vikings coach Mike Zimmer warned Floyd that he will cut him once he found out that he’s lying.
Floyd, the 13th overall pick by Arizona in the 2012 NFL Draft, caught 45 passes for 562 yards and two touchdowns in his rookie year.
The next year, he caught 65 passes for 1,041 yards and five touchdowns. Last season, he split time with the Cardinals and the Patriots, tallying 37 catches for 488 yards and five touchdowns in 15 games. With Floyd out, the Vikings will rely on Stefon Diggs, Adam Thielen and Laquon Treadwell as their receiving corps.
QB Teddy Bridgewater throwing without knee brace
The Star Tribune recently reported that Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is now throwing without a knee brace one year after he suffered a gruesome knee injury. Bridgewater’s fast recovery came as a surprise as he was expected to return in 2018. For now, Sam Bradford will be the Vikings quarterback next season.
