When Titans receiver Kenny Britt and Buccaneers cornerback Aqib Talib weren’t suspended after being called to the principal’s office before the start of the 2011 season, it was widely assumed that Comissioner Roger Goodell wouldn’t be suspending any players who potentially violated the personal conduct policy during the lockout.
Unfortunately for Bengals running back Cedric Benson, that’s not the case.
Mike Silver of Yahoo! Sports reports that Benson has been informed that he’ll be suspended three games. His appeal will be heard next Tuesday.
Benson will be permitted to play this weekend, when the Bengals host the 49ers. Silver writes on Twitter that, if the appeal isn’t successful, Benson will miss the games against the Bills, Jaguars, and Colts.
Benson was cited for assault of a former roommate during the lockout. He eventually resolved an assault charge from 2010 (for which he had been told he wouldn’t be suspended) with a plea deal that resulted in a handful of days in jail, before the start of the season. Benson also agreed to a deferred prosecution of the more recent charges, which will be dismissed if Benson stays out of trouble for a year. Under the personal conduct policy, a resolution of this nature is enough to trigger punishment.
The suspension comes at a time when the Bengals are dealing with the news that 2.5 pounds of marijuana allegedly were received at receiver Jerome Simpson’s residence, where another six pounds of it were found.