Baltimore Ravens defensive lineman Haloti Ngata was suspended four games by the NFL on Thursday. The suspension is a result of violating the NFL’s performance enhancing substance policy.
Ngata said that he had taken the drug Adderall. Adderall is an amphetamine that is usually prescribed to children with attention deficit hyperactive disorder. For people that don’t have ADHD, Adderall can act as a stimulant and improve focus and reaction time and is considered a performance-enhancing drug by the NFL. Ngata signed a five-year, $61 million deal in 2011 with $37.1 million guaranteed. He has a base salary of $8.5 million this year and next, but will lose $2 million due to the suspension, according to CBS Sports.
"I made a mistake, and I own this," Ngata said in a statement. "I took Adderall and take full responsibility for doing this. I am deeply sorry and broken up over this. I let down my family, my teammates, Ravens fans and myself. My hope is that the Ravens make the playoffs, and I believe they can do this. And, then I can come back and help us win.”
The suspension is a huge loss for the Ravens. Ngata, who is a five-time Pro Bowler, was having a good season. He had 32 tackles, two sacks, and two interceptions which tied him for the team lead, according to the Baltimore Sun. He also has seven pass deflections.
Ngata will be eligible to return to the active roster on December 29, which means he’ll miss the rest of the regular season. Rookie Timmy Jernigan will likely play defensive tackle during Ngata’s suspension. Ngata will not appeal the suspension. The Ravens are 7-5 and are fighting for a playoff spot.
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