Denver Broncos kicker Matt Prater has been suspended for the first four games of the NFL season for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. The suspension is supposed to be announced by the NFL on Monday.
According to the Denver Post, Prater has been in the NFL’s alcohol program since he was arrested for a DUI in Aug. 2011.
ESPN reports that Prater was tested earlier this offseason and was found to have alcohol in his system.
Prater’s attorney, Harvey Steinberg, told the Denver Post that Prater feels terrible about this situation.
“He feels terribly for his teammates. It’s cost him personally, both professionally and financially,” he said. “I wonder if we shouldn.’t take a second look at the policy when only a couple beers were consumed at home at home while he was on vacation. Having said that. The NFL under the constraints of the policy couldn’t have treated us better.”
Prater is one of the best kickers in the NFL. Last season he made 25 of 26 field goal attempts. In December, he set an NFL record with a 64-yard field goal against the Tennessee Titans.