For the fourth time in as many seasons, Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict is set to miss games to start an NFL regular season.
On Friday, news broke that the former Pro Bowl defender will be missing the first four games of 2018 because of an infraction of Performance Enhancing Drugs (PED) rules.
Burfict is planning to appeal the decision on the grounds that he was prescribed medications to aid in recoveries from shoulder and concussion injuries he suffered, in which he unknowingly broke league rules.
Some believe he has grounds to win an appeal, given this excuse and his lack of PED suspensions in the past, but his track record of spotty behavior may tarnish that defensive stance.