The Bills issued a statement confirming defensive tackle Marcell Dareus will serve a four-game suspension to start the 2016 season and said they are “very disappointed” that Dareus “chose to put himself first, before his teammates, coaches and the rest of the organization.”
Dareus has issued a statement of his own on his Instagram page. Dareus does not delve into the details of what caused his second suspension in as many seasons while asking for support in the future.
“With deepest regrets I want to apologize to the Buffalo Bills organization, my fans, my family and the entire NFL football community for the incident that led to me missing 4 games for the upcoming 2016-2017 season,” Dareus wrote. “I will not make excuses for the events in question and will allow the process to proceed as is required by the NFL; however, please know and understand I am committed to the game and am more committed to my Bills organization and fans. This temporary setback will only fuel my desire and commitment to bring Buffalo championships and the Super Bowl. I ask at this time that you continue to believe in me and I will continue to invest all that I have to bring honor and respect to the organization and my fans and ultimately bring Buffalo mafia what it deserves -- a Super Bowl! Thank you for continuing to support me -- I will rise above this setback, as with every challenge brings an opportunity for growth and supreme success!”
The team’s statement doesn’t show much belief in Dareus’ commitment to the team, but he’s a talented enough player that they aren’t going to rush to cut ties with him as a result of the suspension. Any further issues could change that view as Dareus would be looking at the kind of suspension that would take him away from the team for a lot more than a quarter of a season.