Tampa Bay Buccaneers DT Akeem Spence suspended for season opener
Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Akeem Spence will be suspended for the team's season opener against the Tennessee Titans on Sept. 13, the NFL announced Monday.
Spence, a fourth-round pick in the 2013 draft, will face a one game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy, which stems from his 2014 arrest for possession of marijuana. Spence will lose $34,411.76 of his 2015 salary of $585,000 for his Week 1 suspension.
Before his suspension, Spence was sidelined with a back injury and placed on Tampa Bay's physically unable to perform list. He was expected to miss the first month of the season.
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Spence tweeted Monday that he would return to the league after his suspension and injury and be “stronger and better than ever.”
The 23-year-old recorded a career-high three sacks last season, and has played in all 32 games of his two-year NFL career, with 19 starts.
Upon his return, Spence will have to work his way back into a rotation of Jacquies Smith, Gerald McCoy, Clinton McDonald and George Johnson.
- Kayla Lombardo
