Report: Cedric Benson faces 3-game suspension

It's been a rough week for the Bengals - even by the team's already dubious standards. On Sunday, Cincinnati's last-minute drive came up just short in a tough 2-point loss to the Broncos. A few days later, California agents tracked a shipment of marijuana to the home of Bengals wide receiver Jerome Simpson.

And now, according to Yahoo.com's Mike Silver, their star running back Cedric Benson will face a three-game ban for player-conduct violations during the NFL lockout. Benson spent five days in a Texas jail before the start of the season, completing his sentence for two misdemeanor assault cases.

Despite the report, Benson said through a Bengals team spokesman that he has received no notice of a suspension, CBSSports.com has learned.

CBSSports.com's Ryan Wilson notes if the suspension reports are true, it would be the first instance of the league punishing a player for something that took place during the four-month lockout. Some other big names - Aqib Talib, Kenny Britt and Brandon Marshall - all were in legal hot water during the lockout but avoided punishment.

Benson will reportedly appeal the suspension. According to Silver, if the appeal is denied, the running back would miss games against Buffalo, Jacksonville and Indy but would be available for this week's game against the 49ers.

Losing Benson would be a big blow to a team looking to forge ahead with rookie quarterback Andy Dalton. In the first two games of the season, Benson had 41 carries for a solid 180 yards and a touchdown. The team's backups? Brian Leonard and Bernard Scott have combined for just 8 rushes and 28 yards.

In July, Benson was accused of punching an ex-roommate. He pleaded no contest to assault with bodily injury with family violence.

In 2008, Benson was arrested in Austin, Texas after he allegedly failed a sobriety test while operating a 30-foot boat. Police said he resisted arrest before being hit with pepper spray and dragged ashore by officers.