Brandon Bolden suspended four games
It might be his rookie season, but Patriots running back Brandon Bolden has wasted no time getting into trouble. The 22-year-old was suspended for four games by the NFL Friday for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances, according to a report from ESPN.
Bolden’s suspension is effective immediately, so the next time he’ll be eligible will be Dec. 3, following the Patriots’ Week 13 game vs. the Miami Dolphins.
This isn’t a problem unfamiliar to the Patriots, as Bolden is the second player in three years out of New England to be suspended for performance-enhancing drugs – Brandon Spikes was suspended in 2010.
Injury has kept Bolden off the field as of late, with a knee injury sustained during the Seattle game in Week 6 keeping him sidelined during the last two games and withholding him from practice this week prior to his suspension.
The Patriots signed Bolden after the 2012 draft out of Mississippi, and he earned a spot on the roster following training camp. He set career-highs in both rushing attempts and yards against the Bills in Week 4, with 16 carries for 137 yards and a touchdown. In his rookie season, Bolden has totaled 43 rushes for 234 yards and two touchdowns.
The exact PED used by Bolden is not yet known.
