Cincinnati Bengals’ Antwan Odom Suspended Four Games

Cincinnati Bengals’ defensive end Antwan Odom was suspended for four games Friday for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing policy. The Bengals have their bye this week, so Odom’s suspension will start on October 24th.

Odom will miss games against the Atlanta Falcons, Miami Dolphins, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Indianapolis Colts. The Bengals are in enough trouble and would likely have struggled in those games with Odom, but the job gets a little more difficult without him.

The NFL had targeted Odom earlier in the season, but Odom appealed and put off the process. Apparently the process has completed and Odom came out on the losing side.

After being injured early in the season last year after getting off to a hot start (eight sacks in six games played), it’s likely Odom resorted to a few NFL-banned supplements to aid in his recovery.

It’s been proven that certain things like HgH and testosterone supplements can help players recover more quickly, but for some reason the NFL refuses to acknowledge hormone therapy as a legitimate form of rehab.

If they did, it would likely lessen the effects of concussions and other head injuries. An excess of concussions will result in certain hormone production slowing or stopping completely, which could lead to a tragic case like Andre Waters who took his own life back in 2006.

Either way, Odom got caught and has now made the Bengals’ road to redemption a little more difficult.