Broncos Matt Prater will be suspended four games

The opened last season without the services of pa s rusher . This time around, they’ll do it without their kicker.NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport was told Sunday that will be suspended four games for violating the league’s substance abuse policy, according to the player’s attorney, Harvey Steinberg. The violation was alcohol related.In his eighth season, Prater had been a member of the NFL’s alcohol program since soon after he was charged with DUI . Prater told The Denver Post of his suspension, which is expected to be announced Monday. «I’m accepting full responsibility. I’ll learn from it and come back a better person. I want to apologize to my teammates, my A. J. Pollock Jersey coaches, the ‘ organization and the fans.»Steinberg told Rapoport that the ban was part of an agreement reached between the league and Prater’s camp after the NFL initially threatened a full-season punishment. «The NFL treated us fairly because we were looking at a year,» said Steinberg, who revealed that Prater drank alcohol in his home during vacation, triggering a positive test. «No one feels worse about this than ,» Steinberg told The Post. «He feels terribly for his teammates. It’s cost him personally, both profe sionally and financially. I wonder if we shouldn’t take a second look at the policy when only a couple beers were consumed at home while he was on vacation. Having said that, the NFL under the constraints of the policy couldn’t have treated us better.»The league office offered no comment when reached out for further details on Prater’s suspension.Prater’s absence puts the in a tight spot. He is among Tommy Lasorda Jersey the game’s finest kickers, hitting on 25 of 26 attempts last season and topping the league with a 96.2 field-goal percentage. He also set a new NFL record with his .Barring the addition of veteran help, it falls on undrafted rookie to hold down the fort until Prater returns in against the .The «» Football Extravaganza has landed. Tell your friends and lovers.