Jenkins Suspended.....

Redskins defensive end Jarvis Jenkins has been suspended for the first four games of the 2013 season by the NFL for violating their PED policy.

Jenkins learned of his suspension (he had already appealed and the appeal was denied before the NFL made the announcement today) earlier today and spoke with the media as he left the practice field.

"I apologize first of all to my fans, my family, the Redskins, my defense," Jenkins said. He told the assembled the banned substance was found in an over-the-counter recovery supplement he bought at GNC.

The Redskins hold meetings with players twice a week about the league's PED policy, and he said they do "a great job" at letting players know what to, and what not to take.

"They tell you if the NSF label is not on it, you're taking it at your own risk," Jenkins noted. NSF is the regulating agency that assures many products, not just nutritional supplements, contain no ingredients that may be hazardous to the public health.  More information on the NSF is available at the web site HERE.

Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan hopes the rest of the roster learns from Jenkins' missteps.

"Hopefully the players will learn from this, if the label from NSF isn't on it, don't take it," Shanahan told reporters after practice.

The suspension is a blow to a Redskins defense that already misses starting defensive end Adam Carriker, out for most, if not all, of the 2013 season after having a second surgery on his quad earlier this week. Jenkins was immediately expected by coaches, fans, and watchers to step up in Carriker's absence.  That won't happen now until the beginning of October.

Jenkins will continue to practice at training camp; the suspension covers the Monday Night Football opener September 9th against Philadelphia, another home game against Detroit (9/22), and road games at Green Bay (9/15) and Oakland (9/29). With the Redskins bye week next, Jenkins' first chance to play will be on Sunday Night Football at Dallas on October 13th.

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NOTES:

--Nearly 8,900 fans attended day 2 of training camp at the Bon Secours Washington Redskins Training Center, down from 10,100 for Thursday's opening day. A second day drop off was expected, but it wasn't large. Some 19,000 fans, plus hundreds of media, have attended practice so far in just two days, with thousands more expected Saturday.  Sunday is an off day for the team.

--Saturday's schedule continues the trend of the first two days, with a walk-through at 10am and full practice at 3:20pm. Gates again open at 9am for fans. Shanahan normally addresses the media after PM practice, and an assigned player does it after morning walk-through.