Chicago Bears Linebacker Jerrell Freeman Suspended 10 Games for Violating the League's Performance-Enhancing Substances Policy
Jerrell Freeman has only played in one game this season before he was placed on injured reserve after he suffered a concussion and a pectoral muscle injury. However, the Chicago Bears won't be getting the inside linebacker back anytime soon because he will have to serve a lengthy suspension for violating the National Football League's (NFL) policy on performance-enhancing substances for the second time in less than a year.
The Bears have confirmed that the league has handed Freeman a 10-game suspension for his second violation, and the linebacker has apologized for causing a distraction. He also noted that he took those pills to cope with symptoms of a concussion.
"Knowing my career may be over due (to) everything that came with the head injury (that's been purposely downplayed by me), memory loss and all, has actually been a bit of a struggle," Freeman said in a statement posted on his official Twitter account.
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"That being said there's no excuse to cope with any problems by taking any kind of pills. I don't know my future but a big thanks to the Bears and the NFL, if I would have used their programs and services earlier than I did I wouldn't be in this situation. Sorry again for the distraction," he added.
The NFL has already suspended Freeman for four games last season because of the same offense, so he knows full well that he will receive a harsher penalty if he gets caught again. Now he may have played his last game in a Bears uniform because he's out of guaranteed money next season. They don't have to pay his $3.5 million base salary next year if he's released in the offseason.
Freeman signed a three-year deal with the Bears in 2016, but he has only played in 13 games in his two seasons with the team.
