Report: Bills' Marcell Dareus Facing Four-Game Suspension For Violating Substance Abuse Policy

BOSTON (CBS) -- As has been highly publicized, the Patriots will be without Tom Brady for the first four games of the season. It's a major disadvantage, but they won't be alone.

The Buffalo Bills will reportedly be without defensive tackle Marcell Dareus for the first four games of the year, which includes a Week 4 meeting at Gillette Stadium. Dareus reportedly violated the league's substance abuse policy.

It's not the first substance-related suspension for Dareus, who was suspended last year for one game. That suspension stemmed from a prior arrest.

Dareus acknowledged the suspension on his Instagram page.

"With deepest regrets I want to apologize to the Buffalo Bills organization, my fans, my family and the entire NFL football community for the incident that led to me missing 4 games for the upcoming 2016-2017 season," he said. "Thank you for continuing to support me - I will rise above this setback, as with every challenge brings an opportunity for growth and supreme #success!"

Coincidentally, Dareus was one player who was not hoping to see Brady serve his suspension over DeflateGate.

"If we win [against the Patriots], all right, we win. But I don't feel like I really won until I beat the guy, " Dareus said in July. "I love playing against Brady. I get up for him. I play against him every year and he knows I'm coming. So for him not to be there tears me up a little bit."

Now, neither player will be in uniform come Oct. 2.

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• Buffalo Bills
• NFL
• New England Patriots