Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman has been notified he will be suspended for four games for violating the NFL's steroids and related substances policy, league and team sources told ESPN's Chris Mortensen.
Merriman's positive test was "definitely for steroids not one of those supplement deals," said a source with knowledge of Merriman's suspension earlier Monday. Both the initial A sample and backup B sample came back positive, Mortensen reported.
Merriman, 22, was the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year last season and started in the Pro Bowl after recording 54 tackles and 10 sacks. He also finished with five passes defended and two forced fumbles. Through six games this season, Merriman was second on the Chargers with 5½ sacks.
The San Diego linebacker has acquired the nickname "Lights Out" for his hard
hits and aggressive demeanor.
"Shawne, of course, he's something," Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer said after Merriman won top honors for first-year players. "He's an extremely talented young man who brings it every snap. He's very, very competitive."
Merriman's suspension originally was to be announced last Tuesday when two other NFL players -- the Falcons' Matt Lehr and the Lions' Shaun Rogers -- were suspended for violating the policy. But Merriman reserved the right to appeal his suspension, so it was not announced.
"Per the collective bargaining agreement, the Chargers aren't
allowed to comment on reports or results involving the league's
substance abuse policy," Chargers spokesman Bill Johnston said
Sunday night.
Merriman's suspension is the latest on a laundry list of on- and off-the-field issues Schottenheimer has had to deal with this season.
From a strictly football standpoint, Merriman's four-game absence decimates a San Diego defense already reeling from injuries.
Linebacker Steve Foley was shot in the leg by an off-duty police officer on Sept. 3 and was subsequently placed on injured reserve. Foley's replacement, Shaun Phillips, injured his right calf in Sunday's 30-27 loss to Kansas City and will be out four to six weeks.
In addition, defensive end Igor Olshansky is out after having arthroscopic knee surgery and is likely to miss a month.
Off the field, the situation has been at least as devastating.
Safety Terrence Kiel is currently facing five felony drug charges relating to the shipping and possession of large
quantities of prescription cough syrup, which is a controlled
substance. Although Drug Enforcement Administration investigators
said Kiel admitted he shipped at least two packages and knew of the
contents, Kiel pleaded not guilty at his arraignment earlier this month.
Foley, meanwhile, has been charged with two counts of misdemeanor DUI stemming from his confrontation with an off-duty Coronado, Calif., police officer.
Police said that Foley, who, according to his agent, David Levine, is currently unable to walk or stand without assistance, had been partying in downtown San Diego and registered a blood-alcohol level of .233 percent, nearly three times
California's legal limit of .08 percent.
The charges carry enhancements that include being charged with
DUI within 10 years of a prior conviction and having a
blood-alcohol level exceeding .15.
Foley has been arrested at least five times since 1999,
including cases that police say involved alcohol and confrontations
with officers.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.