Bills DT Marcell Dareus suspended one game for substance abuse violation

Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Marcell Dareus has been suspended one game for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy.

Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Marcell Dareus has been suspended one game for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy, the league announced Thursday. 

Dareus was arrested in May 2014 for felony possession of synthetic marijuana and entered the NFL's substance abuse program in July. He entered a pretrial intervention program and will have the charges dropped if he adheres to the terms of the program. 

"Last year, I made a mistake involving possession of a banned substance," Dareus said in a statement. "The NFL's discipline for this conduct is part of the drug policy, and I apologize to my family, my teammates, the entire Bills organization and Bills fans that I will miss one game as a result of my mistake. I will work intensely that week and will be extremely happy to contribute to a win in week two for the Bills."

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Dareus was a Pro Bowl and First Team All-Pro selection last season after totaling 10 sacks and 35 tackles in 15 games. 

Dareus was also arrested near Buffalo last May after crashing his Jaguar into a tree while allegedly racing teammate Jerry Hughes. He was charged with two misdemeanors but reached a plea deal to reduce the charges to a pair of traffic violations. He paid a $300 fine. 

Dareus will miss Buffalo's season-opener against the Indianapolis Colts but will be allowed to participate in preseason games. 

- Dan Gartland