Browns linebacker Armonty Bryant has been suspended four games by the NFL violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances, the team announced today in a press release. The suspension will sideline Bryant for the first four games of the 2016 regular season.
Bryant, 25, enjoyed something of a breakout season in 2015, racking up career-highs in sacks (5.5), tackles (40), and forced fumbles (two). However, after a solid year on the field, the linebacker ran into some trouble off of it.
Bryant and former Browns defensive back De’Ante Saunders were arrested early on Christmas morning, and Bryant, who had Adderall in his possession when the duo was stopped by police, was ultimately indicted on two counts of felony drug possession. The NFL classifies Adderall as a performance-enhancing drug, but that case is still playing out, so Bryant’s suspension appears to be unrelated to that incident.
New Browns head coach Hue Jackson has talked about prioritizing character when it comes to filling out the team’s 53-man roster, and taking a hard-line stance when it comes to off-field transgressions, so it will be interesting to see whether Bryant will have a role on the team in 2016.
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