A failed conditioning test, a court hearing and now a weather delay have conspired to keep defensive tackle Marcell Dareus away from Buffalo Bills training camp. His absence is expected to continue until Friday, meaning he'll miss at least four days of practice.
Marcell Dareus to enter NFL drug program, miss 4 days of training camp
Dareus agreed to enter the league’s substance abuse program at a court hearing in Alabama on Monday, and still needs to pass a conditioning test before he can rejoin his Bills teammates on the practice field.
Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports
Dareus was excused from camp on Monday while he flew home to Alabama to face a court hearing stemming from a felony drug arrest in May. According to John Wawrow of the Associated Press, Dareus has agreed to enter the NFL’s substance abuse program. If he successfully completes the program, charges of possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia will be dropped and potentially expunged.
Dareus was expected to return to camp in Rochester, N.Y. on Monday night, but his flight was canceled due to weather, according to Matthew Fairburn of Syracuse.com.
Even if Dareus had been able to return as planned, he would reportedly have had to wait until at least Friday to join practice. The 330-pounder was placed on the non-football injury list after failing a conditioning test over the weekend and will need to pass the test before joining the team. ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio reported on Monday that Dareus was not expected to retake the test until Thursday.
The Bills have practice Tuesday and Wednesday before taking a break on Thursday. If Dareus passes his test that day, he would theoretically be available for Friday’s evening workout.
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