Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jerome Simpson was suspended three games by the National Football League on Monday, according to the Pioneer Press.
Simpson’s suspension is a result of a drunken driving arrest last November. He also refused to submit a chemical test. The DUI charge was dropped after Simpson pleaded guilty to careless driving and refusal to submit a chemical test.
The Pioneer Press reports that Simpson missed practice on Monday because he was in New York City appealing the temporary layoff.
According to Pro Football Talk, the standard penalty for a player’s first alcohol-related mishap, which this is for Simpson, is a pair of game checks. But Simpson was slapped with a suspension because it’s his second substance-abuse offense. In 2012, his first season with the Vikings, he sat out the first three games of the season for a felony drug charge.
Simpson’s attorney David Valentini says Simpson would have passed a chemical test if he had taken one.
“We made our case and believe Jerome should not be suspended under the totality of the evidence,” Valentini said. “Our argument was that if he had taken the test he would have passed it.”
The incident occurred Nov. 9 on the westbound side of Interstate 394 just outside of downtown Minneapolis.
His Dodge Challenger had broken down on the freeway and was blocking a lane. When a Minnesota State Patrol trooper arrived and spoke to the seven-year NFL veteran, he claimed Simpson had bloodshot, watery eyes and reeked of alcohol, according to the criminal complaint.
Simpson was the Vikings’ second leading receiver last season. He finished with 48 receptions for 726 yards and one touchdown. According to ESPN, Simpson is currently third on Minnesota’s depth chart behind Greg Jennings and Cordarrelle Patterson.
