Jerome Felton Suspended 3 Games For Violating NFL Substance Abuse Policy

The Vikings have had a preseason to forget in 2013. It got even worse on Monday.

Jerome Felton was among the many Vikings players already having a rough preseason. He underwent an emergency appendectomy less than two weeks ago, which was likely to keep him out of the remainder of the exhibition schedule.

Now it appears that the Vikings' Pro Bowl fullback will be missing the first three games of the regular season as well. Here's the original tweet from the NFL: Around The League folks:

NFL suspends Vikings FB Jerome Felton three games for violating substance abuse policy.

— NFL: AroundTheLeague (@NFL_ATL) August 26, 2013

This isn't exactly what the Vikings needed. The offense has looked certifiably mediocre through the first three preseason games without Adrian Peterson in the mix. Now they'll be forced to play without AP's lead blocker for two crucial divisional road games and their home opener.

The NFL doesn't specify specific substances that players get suspended for, so exactly what Felton did to violate the league policy isn't known. What is known: the jobs of the front sevens of the Lions, Bears, and Browns just got easier.

Stay tuned for more information as it becomes available.