Detroit Lions safety Jayron Kearse has been suspended for three games by the NFL for violation of his substance abuse policy.
Kearse, 26, signed with the Lions in March after four seasons in Minnesota, where he played in 62 games with five starts, making 79 tackles and defending eight passes.
Kearse was charged with DWI and carrying a firearm without permission last October, when he was with the Vikings. Kearse apologized for his actions in October, saying the arrest “is not a reflection of who I am as a person.”
The NFL has not said whether this suspension is related to the October arrest.
“We knew the situation in free agency, we obviously investigated the situation. We talked to Jayron and we were comfortable with him and the situation,” said Lions coach Matt Patricia. “Obviously, [we] I got to know him a lot more from free agency and I felt comfortable with all of that. We knew it was something to come. … It’s a league affair, and I’ll leave it at that.
“But it’s something we knew during free agency.”
Kearse is eligible to return on September 28 after the team’s game in Arizona.
Detroit is crowded safely behind headlines Tracy Walker and Will Harris after a series of offseason moves, including signing Miles Killebrew, signing Kearse, and trading for Duron Harmon.
ESPN’s Courtney Cronin contributed to this report.
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