San Francisco 49ers receiver/returner Victor Bolden has been suspended without pay for the first four games of the 2018 season due to a violation of the NFL policy on performance-enhancing substances, the NFL announced Friday.
Bolden will be eligible to return to the roster on Oct. 1, one day following a game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
"Unknowingly, I used a supplement that was on the NFL's banned substance list," Bolden said in a statement. "As a professional athlete, I take full responsibility for not verifying the ingredients of the supplement. In the future, I will be much better educated when choosing what to put in my body. It hurts to know that I will not be on the field with my team for the first four games of the season."
San Francisco general manager John Lynch termed the situation as a "lesson" for Bolden and his teammates.
"Victor made an unintentional mistake, but learned a valuable lesson," Lynch said in a statement. "Professional athletes must be meticulous in their supplement choices. We know Victor is disappointed, but we hope this is a reminder to all our players how important it is to make educated decisions on what to put in their bodies."
Bolden didn't catch a pass last season as a rookie. He averaged 20.8 yards on 19 kickoff returns and 5.8 yards on four punt returns.
--Field Level Media