NFL Suspension Tracker: Bell, Richardson, Gates among players sidelined to start 2015

There was no shortage of headlines to keep up with throughout the 2015 offseason, and an unfortunate number of them stemmed from various player indiscretions around the NFL.

Among those to be handed substantial league discipline are a seemingly unprecedented number of marquee players, whose absences will certainly impact the early-season fortunes of their respective teams.

Here's a list of players, including those still without a team on the free-agent market, who will be required to serve suspensions when the 2015 campaign officially gets underway.

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was initially suspended four games following the NFL's "Deflategate" investigation. The NFLPA filed a lawsuit against the league on his behalf, and the penalty was nullified by a U.S. District Court Judge on Sept. 3.

Notables

Le'Veon Bell, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers

Bell emerged as arguably the NFL's best running back last season, but a two-game suspension for a violation of the substance abuse policy will keep him out until Week 3.

While the initial three-game ban was reduced after Bell reached a settlement with the league, the Steelers going without their top offensive playmaker for early-season games against the Patriots and 49ers could prove costly.

Josh Gordon, WR, Cleveland Browns

Gordon received yet another substance abuse suspension early in the offseason, this time being handed a season-long ban that could conceivably put his NFL future in question.

The Browns wideout certainly has the talent to produce at the professional level, as evidenced by the league-leading 1,646 receiving yards he posted in 2013, but teams may not be so eager to continue taking chances on him if he can't prove capable of staying on the field.

Sheldon Richardson, DE, New York Jets

Richardson will miss the first four games of the regular season for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy, leaving the Jets' dominant defensive front without its top player.

It's unclear whether Richardson will face further league discipline for a July road-racing incident in which he was charged with resisting arrest and various traffic violations. He's currently scheduled to return following New York's Week 5 bye for an Oct. 18 matchup with the Redskins.

Antonio Gates, TE, San Diego Chargers

Gates's four-game ban for PEDs was among the most surprising suspensions handed down this offseason, forcing the eight-time Pro Bowl tight end to the sidelines for the first month of the year.

Ladarius Green can be expected to step into a more significant role during that time, but the Chargers and quarterback Philip Rivers should rely more heavily upon a talented group of receivers until Gates makes his return in Week 5.

Greg Hardy, DE, Dallas Cowboys

Hardy, then with the Panthers, spent nearly the entire 2014 season on the commissioner's exempt list while the legal process stemming from a domestic violence incident took its course.

Charges against Hardy were eventually dismissed, and the Cowboys took a chance on him in free agency, but the NFL still found his actions to be in violation of the personal conduct policy. The league office handed him a 10-game suspension that was eventually reduced to four games after a lengthy appeal.