Report: Vikings wide receiver Jerome Simpson facing possible suspension

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jerome Simpson is facing a possible suspension. Simpson missed practice Monday, reportedly because he was in New York defending himself on an appeal.

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jerome Simpson is facing a possible suspension, according to a report from Brian Murphy of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Simpson missed practice Monday, reportedly because he was in New York defending himself on an appeal, according to Murphy's source. 

In November 2013, Simpson was charged with DUI and refusing to submit to a chemical test after he was pulled over outside Minneapolis. On Jan. 2, he pleaded guilty to careless driving and refusing to submit to a chemical test, but the DUI charge was dismissed, and he was sentenced to two years' probation. Simpson was also ordered to undergo alcohol counseling and perform at least 90 hours of community service by speaking to Minneapolis students about alcohol. 

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This would not be Simpson's first NFL suspension. In 2012, he was suspended three games after being convicted of a felony when he tried to mail two pounds of marijuana to his home in Kentucky. In that case, he was sentenced to 15 days in jail, fined $7,500 and placed on probation for three years. 

Though it is Simpson's first alcohol-related offense, the league could designate him a repeat offender under the Policy and Program for Substance Abuse, which would carry a lengthier suspension. 

Last season, Simpson caught 48 passes for 726 yards, which was second on the team and a career high. The Vikings open the season at the St. Louis Rams on Sept. 7. 

- Alex Hampl