NFL suspends veteran Panthers defensive end Charles Johnson

Carolina Panthers defensive end Charles Johnson has been suspended four games for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drugs policy, the team announced on Friday.

Johnson’s suspension begins immediately and he cannot return until the day after Carolina’s game against Tampa Bay on Dec. 24.

Johnson, a veteran defensive end who underwent a microdiscectomy in the spring, released a statement through the team on Friday.

“I accept full responsibility,” he said. “I have been recovering from back surgery, dealing with the daily grind of football and mistakenly thought this would help. It was an error in judgment on my part. We have a special group here I wanted to be a part of and felt an…