Saints' Ingram suspended 4 games for violating PED policy
New Orleans Saints running back Mark Ingram has been suspended for the first four games of the 2018 season for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing drugs, the NFL announced Tuesday.
Ingram hasn't been at the Saints' facility for conditioning workouts and won't attend organized team activities (OTAs), a source told NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
The Saints knew about the suspension before the 2018 NFL Draft, as did Ingram and his representatives, Rapoport adds. He did not win his appeal of the suspension but is expected to be in attendance for the team's mandatory minicamp.
Ingram is coming off a career season in 2017 in which he rushed for 1,124 yards and 12 touchdowns while adding 416 yards as a receiver, and earned the second Pro Bowl appearance of his career.
His suspension paves the way for 2017 Offensive Rookie of the Year and fellow Pro Bowler Alvin Kamara to start the season in a larger role. Daniel Lasco, Boston Scott, Jonathan Williams, and Trey Edmunds are also listed on the depth chart.
Ingram is set to become a free agent at the conclusion of the 2018 season. He carries a cap hit of $6.245 million in the final year of his current deal, according to Over The Cap.
Here's the Saints' schedule to open the season.
| Week | Opponent | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | vs. Buccaneers | Sep. 9 |
| 2 | vs. Browns | Sep. 16 |
| 3 | at Falcons | Sep. 23 |
| 4 | at Giants | Sep. 30 |
Ingram will be able to return for Week 5 when the Saints host the Washington Redskins on Monday Night Football.