Vikings FB Jerome Felton suspended 3 games

The veteran fullback has been suspended for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy, just two weeks after undergoing emergency surgery.

By Brandon Worley@brandonworley Aug 26, 2013, 3:49pm EDT

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Minnesota Vikings fullback Jerome Felton has been suspended three games by the NFL for violating the league's substance abuse policy, according to Adam Caplan.

The sixth-year player was recently ruled out for the remainder of the preseason after undergoing an emergency appendectomy on Aug. 14, although it was reported that surgery had been performed before the appendix had burst.

Felton was drafted in the fifth round by the Detroit Lions in 2008 and has played with the Panthers and Colts before landing in Minnesota. The veteran fullback out of Furman University earned All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors in 2012 for his play in front of running back Adrian Peterson, who rushed for 2,097 yards last season.

As the Vikings look to replace him, the most likely candidates already in-house are Matt Asiata and Zach Line. With Peterson's return from injury as well, the backfield is certainly one of the more interesting positions on the team to watch with the regular season approaching quickly. Eric J. Thompson at Daily Norseman says it's a bad time to lose Felton in particular:

This isn't exactly what the Vikings needed. The offense has looked certifiably mediocre through the first three preseason games without Adrian Peterson in the mix. Now they'll be forced to play without AP's lead blocker for two crucial divisional road games and their home opener.

Felton signed a three-year, $7.5 million contract with the Vikings this offseason.