Bears DL Jeremiah Ratliff gets 3-game ban for substance abuse issue
— -- LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Chicago Bears defensive lineman Jeremiah Ratliff has been suspended without pay for the first three games of the 2015 regular season for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy, the league announced Monday.
Ratliff is eligible to participate in all preseason practices and preseason games, but he will miss regular-season games against the Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals, Seattle Seahawks before he can return to the Bears' active roster on Monday, Sept. 28.
Ratliff pleaded guilty on April 30 to a DWI charge that stemmed from a 2013 arrest in Grapevine, Texas.
Ratliff, who was then a member of the Dallas Cowboys, was arrested in the early morning hours of Jan. 22, 2013, after he crashed his pickup truck into an 18-wheeler. After a search warrant for his blood was issued more than two hours later, tests determined that Ratliff's blood alcohol level was .16 -- more than twice the legal limit -- according to Grapevine police.
Ratliff, a four-time Pro Bowl selection with the Cowboys, had 6.5 sacks last season for the Bears and is under contract through the 2015 season. Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio recently called Ratliff the club's top defensive lineman entering the 2015 regular season.
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