Saturday, March 6, 2010
It turns out former Rams tackle Ryan Tucker had a good reason for announcing his retirement Thursday on a Cleveland radio station.
Tucker, who missed the 2009 season (his 13th in the NFL) after having knee surgery in the Cleveland Browns’ training camp, would be suspended for the first eight games of the 2010 season if he signed with another team. Tucker’s contract expired Thursday night and he became an unrestricted free agent.
On WKNR Radio, Tucker, who turns 35 in June, said, "We notified the league and we are notifying the Cleveland Browns family that I'm shutting it down. It's time for me to go ahead and hang up the cleats and starting being a daddy and a husband. I'm going that route."
It is believed Tucker violated the league policy on performance enhancing drugs. He was suspended four games for violating that policy in 2007.
Also suspended for the first eight games of the 2010 season is Miami Dolphins unrestricted free-agent nose tackle Jason Ferguson, who was placed on injured reserve Nov. 23 and underwent quadriceps surgery. Ferguson, 35, is also believed to have been suspended for violating the performance enhancing drugs policy, under which he was suspended four games in 1999.
Each player is eligible to be signed, and can take part in all offseason and preseason responsibilities. The suspensions officially begin when rosters are reduced to 53 players.
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