When the Bills issued a shockingly strong statement regarding the four-game suspension imposed on defensive lineman Marcell Dareus for violating the substance-abuse policy, the clear impression became that Dareus had tested positive for a banned substance. According to Dareus, that’s not the case.
Dareus told reporters on Wednesday that the suspension arises from a missed test, and that he first learned of the potential suspension on Saturday. Separately, Bills coach Rex Ryan told reporters that Ryan learned of the potential suspension on Tuesday.
Some have expressed skepticism about both claims, given that the appeal process takes longer than a couple of days to resolve. But it appears that Dareus specifically chose not to appeal, which finalized the suspension.
Regardless of the timeline, it’s odd that the Bills would call Dareus out for being selfish absent evidence that he actually consumed a banned substance. Yes, missing a test constitutes a violation. But not everyone who misses a test also consumed a banned substance; unless Dareus deliberately dodged the test to conceal his use of a banned substance, there was no reason for the team to say that Dareus “put himself first, before his teammates, coaches and the rest of the organization.”