Chicago Bears: Alshon Jeffery Suspended Four Games for PEDs

Chicago Bears wide receiver and impending free agent Alshon Jeffery has been suspended for four games for violating the NFL’s PED policies.

For the Chicago Bears, the 2016 NFL season has been more a comedy of errors than anything else. That’s not to say their general lack of quality was unexpected, but it’s been glaring at every turn. In Week 10 as they faced a poor Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense and coming off of their best offensive showing of the year, Jay Cutler and company laid an egg. Now things are only set to get worse without Alshon Jeffery.

Despite the struggles of the wideout this season, he’s Cutler’s favorite weapon in the passing game—and one of the few remaining proven weapons in the offense. But Cutler will have to survive without him for the next four games.

As reported by Albert Breer of The MMQB, Alshon Jeffery has been suspended for four games after testing positive for performance enhancing substances, or PEDs:

You can certainly make the argument that the Bears losing their best receiver isn’t that bad for them. With only two wins on the season and with a depleted roster, they’re playing for the draft now. In that regard, taking the field without a player like Jeffery is a net positive.

However, this could substantially affect and hurt Jeffery moving forward. As Breer notes, the receiver is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason. With so many receiving corps lacking, Jeffery should be a coveted commodity. However, an instance like this kills at least some of his value.

Next: NFL Power Rankings Week 11: Bears Near Bottom

There’s no word just yet as to what the Bears wideout tested positive for. Regardless, though, this is a bad look for him, even if it helps Chicago move up further in the draft. The Bears have been tough to watch for most of 2016 anyway. Without Jeffery in the offense, the best option now may be to just avert your eyes.