Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Eli Rogers has been suspended without pay for the team’s season opener due to a violation of the NFL Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse, the league announced Tuesday.
Rogers will be eligible to return to the Steelers on Sept. 10, one day after the opener against the Cleveland Browns.
“We are disappointed that Eli Rogers has been suspended for Week 1 of the regular season as part of the NFL Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse,” Pittsburgh general manager Kevin Colbert said in a statement. “The suspension will begin following the final roster cutdown on September 1.
“He will be allowed to continue his (injury) rehabilitation and attend meetings at team’s headquarters, but he will not be permitted to practice with the team during his suspension or attend the Week 1 game.”
Rogers hasn’t practiced or played in the preseason, as he remains on the physically unable to perform list while recovering from a major knee injury (torn ACL) suffered in a mid-January playoff loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Rogers caught 18 passes for 149 yards and one touchdown last year in his second NFL season. He had 48 receptions for 594 yards and three touchdowns as a rookie.
The Steelers declined to tender Rogers as a restricted free agent this offseason, but brought him back on a one-year, minimum deal in July.
