For the second season in a row, Baltimore Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith has been suspended for a quarter of his team’s schedule. This time, however, it’s because of an entirely different reason.
On Tuesday, the NFL announced Smith will begin serving the suspension right from the start of the 2018 NFL season, meaning he will not be on the field against the Buffalo Bills in Week 1, versus the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 2, opposite the Denver Broncos in Week 3, and during a matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 4. The following statement is from a press release sent out by the league.
Jimmy Smith of the Baltimore Ravens has been suspended without pay for the Ravens' first four regular-season games for a violation of the NFL's Personal Conduct Policy.
Smith's suspension will take effect as of the final roster reduction on September 1 and he will be eligible to return on October 1 following the Ravens' game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Smith may continue to participate in all of his club's preseason activities, including games.
The Ravens were expecting that Smith will be suspended even before the announcement was made by the NFL, with the cornerback also working on an appeal prior to the league’s decision.
Although the statement from the NFL did not specify the exact nature of Smith’s violation, the Ravens said that it’s due to the his “threatening and emotionally abusive behaviors” towards his ex-girlfriend, via a separate press release on the team’s official website.
Jimmy Smith missed the final four games of last season after sustaining a torn Achilles injury in a Week 13 loss to the Detroit Lions. As it turned out, he was going to be sidelined from Week 14 to Week 17 anyway, as the league handed him a four-game suspension due to a violation of the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs.
Smith played in 12 games in 2017 and finished the season with three interceptions and 26 tackles.
Follow Us
Subscribe