The NFL has handed out its second four-game suspension of the day, with the Bears announcing (via Twitter) that rookie tackle Tayo Fabuluje has been banned for the next four games for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances. We heard earlier this afternoon that free agent running back Joseph Randle has also been suspended four games.
Fabuluje, a sixth-round pick in this year’s draft, has been active for the Bears’ last several games. While he hasn’t earned a spot in the starting lineup, the 24-year-old has played on the field goal unit and in goal-line and short-yardage situations, as Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune tweets.
In a text message to Peggy Kusinski of NBC Chicago, Fabuluje acknowledges that he “took [an] appetite suppressant back in training camp” that resulted in a failed drug test.
The Bears may look to add an offensive lineman via free agency or from their practice squad later this week, to fortify their depth at the position. With Fabuluje sidelined for the next four weeks, the rookie will miss Chicago’s games against the Rams, Broncos, Packers, and 49ers.