Titans LB Gerald McRath Suspended Four Games For Violating NFL's PED Policy

Titans Linebacker 'Convinced' Tainted Supplement Caused Suspension

Titans linebacker Gerald McRath received word of a suspension in February and began to appeal before dropping it. None of the substances he took were on the NFL's banned substances list, he says, and he doesn't know how he tested for a banned substance.

Per The Tennessean, he's "convinced" he took a tainted supplement.

"The hardest part is you can read the labels and look at everything … but the batch I had could have been tainted,’’ McRath said. ``But you don’t know that because I don’t have the batches anymore. That’s the even harder part now. That’s another reason I withdrew the appeals.

"I’ll just take the four-game suspension and I”ll keep on trucking. This is just a little adversity in my career. You just have to come in one day at a time. I really have to work harder now … I’ll say this is just a small part of my life and I’ll move on and get better.’’

He's in the process of testing all the supplements he took to determine what it was. The process, he says, will cost him roughly $6,000.

For more on the Titans bad day, check out SB Nation's Music City Miracles.

Titans LB Gerald McRath Suspended Four Games For Violating NFL's PED Policy

Titans LB Gerald McRath has been suspended for the first four games of the 2010 season for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy, Titans coach Jeff Fisher confirmed Monday.

No word yet on what the exact violation was.

This isn't a good situation for the Titans, who were already thin at linebacker. Thornton will miss the first four games which puts his return on Oct. 4.

He can participate in training camp and all preseason games.

What does SB Nation's Titans community, Music City Miracles, have to say? "Well the fun just keeps on coming."

I am not sure if this is a PED thing or another drug, but what I do know is that it really screws the Titans at linebacker.  I guess they better pray that David Thornton is going to be able to come back at 100%.

Thornton is currently rehabbing from shoulder surgery. One option to consider is re-signing veteran Keith Bulluck. Though they play different positions, the Titans are linebacker-needy.

McRath was the Titans fourth round pick in 2009.

For more, check out SB Nation's Music City Miracles.