Vikings receiver Floyd hit with four-game ban

NEW YORK: Minnesota Vikings receiver Michael Floyd was issued a four-game suspension Friday by the NFL for violating the league's substance abuse policy following a drink driving guilty plea.
Floyd will miss Minnesota's first four games of the 2017 campaign – a September 11 home opener against New Orleans, September 17 at Pittsburgh, September 24 at home against Tampa Bay and October 1 at home against Detroit.
Floyd, who can play in pre-season games and participate in all pre-season workouts and practices, can return October 2 and his first possible game could be October 9 at Chicago.
In February. Floyd pleaded guilty to extreme drink driving in Arizona last December. The 27-year-old served the first 24 days of a 120-day jail sentence and was set to spend the final 96 days in home confinement with orders not to drink alcohol, perform 30 hours of community service, undergo counselling and pay a US$5,115 (RM21,897) fine.
Floyd was cut by the Arizona Cardinals two days after his arrest, claimed by the eventual Super Bowl champion New England Patriots, but not re-signed for 2017, leaving him available when Minnesota made a one-season contract offer.
But Floyd tested positive for alcohol during his house arrest and in June was ordered to serve one day in jail before finishing his final five days of house arrest.
Floyd blamed the positive test on fermented Kombucha tea, which he said he didn't realise contained alcohol.
"Do I believe it? I don't know how much tea he drank. I have no clue," Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said. "I don't have any doubt why there'd be scepticism, but he told me that he wasn't (drinking). That it was legit."
Zimmer also said he warned Floyd that he would be released if the coach learned Floyd was lying about the alcohol. — AFP