Ravens TE Boyle suspended 4 games by NFL for PEDs

OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) Baltimore Ravens rookie tight end Nick Boyle received a four-game suspension from the NFL on Monday for violating the league policy on performance enhancing substances.

Boyle will miss the remainder of the regular season. Although the Ravens (4-8) are a longshot to make the playoffs, he will be eligible to return to the active roster following Baltimore's game on Jan. 3 against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Drafted in the fifth round out of Delaware, Boyle has 18 catches for 153 yards.

Many athletes, including former Ravens defensive tackle Haloti Ngata and Baltimore Orioles slugger Chris Davis, received suspensions in the past after testing positive for Adderall, a drug normally used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Ravens coach John Harbaugh would not disclose the substance that led to Boyle's suspension, but said, ''It's pretty common, (a drug) you read about all the time with guys. ... It wasn't steroids or anything like that.''

Harbaugh spoke with Boyle on Monday.

''I don't think he realized it's something he shouldn't be doing, or if he did, he just didn't think it through,'' the coach said. ''He told me how stupid it was. I agree. It was pretty dumb.''

Boyle caught three passes for 15 yards on Sunday in a 15-13 loss to Miami. The Ravens played most of the game without injured tight end Crockett Gillmore, who hurt his back in the first quarter and were without rookie tight end Maxx Williams, who was inactive with a concussion.

Harbaugh hoped to have Gillmore and Williams back for Sunday's game against Seattle.

''We'll just have to play it day by day,'' Harbaugh said. ''We'll bring some guys in to make sure we have backup tight ends.''

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