Le'Veon Bell is facing a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy by missing tests, but he plans to appeal the ruling.

Bell said he plans to appeal the suspension "sometime in August" and that he was notified of a missed test and his suspension in March.

Mike Tomlin confirmed that Bell's appeal will not be heard until the second week of August.

"I don't want to be a distraction to my teammates or to Steelers Nation," Bell added. "So I'm just going to keep moving forward and let everything handle itself."

Josh Gordon is being reinstated by the NFL.

Gordon will be suspended for the first four games of the 2016 NFL season.

Gordon had 87 receptions, 1,646 yards and nine touchdowns in 2013 over 14 games.

In 2014, Gordon had 24 catches and 303 yards over five games. Gordon was suspended for the entire 2015 season.

Le'Veon Bell defended himself against a looming punishment for violation of the NFL's drug policy.

In response to a fan posting a picture on Instagram with a gas mask bong superimposed on Bell's head, Bell responded from his verified account: "I'm not going to miss games, trust me." This was not an official statement issued by Bell, whose agent, Adisa Bakari, has not responded to messages for comment.

Bell faces a four-game suspension for missed drug tests.

According to the NFL's collective bargaining agreement, a player can miss up to two drug tests without forfeiting games, but a third missed test triggers a four-game ban. 

"I'm gonna win the appeal...ppl have no idea what happened, but don't worry...let em hate," Bell wrote directly to a fan. "When I end up missin no games at all, ppl for sure gonna try to love me again and I'm only ridin with my LOYAL fans!!"

The NFL has cleared Peyton Manning after a seven-month investigation into whether he used HGH or any other performance enhancing drugs.

Manning was named in an Al Jazeera report at the end of the 2015 season.

The NFL said it found "no credible evidence" linking Manning to the allegations of the report.

Ezekiel Elliott has denied a domestic abuse allegation made against him.

Elliott was the Dallas Cowboys' first round pick pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.

TMZ Sports reports that a 20-year-old woman filed a police report with the Columbus Police Department on Friday morning and accused Elliott of assaulting her while they were in a car together. She said she and Elliott used to live together, although Elliott denied that and the abuse allegation when contacted by police.

Le'Veon Bell is facing a four-game suspension for violation of the NFL's drug policy, according to sources.

The suspension is the result of a missed drug test, not a failed one. The reason it hasn't yet been announced is that the appeal process is still going on.

Bell was suspended for the first three games of 2015, which was later reduced to two games, for a violation of the policy on substances of abuse after he was arrested for marijuana possession and DUI in the summer of 2014.

Aaron Lynch has been suspended for the first four regular-season games for violating the NFL Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse.

"While disappointed to hear the news regarding Aaron today, we support and respect the league's decision," 49ers general manager Trent Baalke said in a statement. "We are confident that he will learn from this matter and that he understands what is expected of him moving forward."

Lynch has 12 1/2 sacks and 61 tackles in two seasons with the 49ers.

Karlos Williams has been suspended for the first four games of the 2016 season for a drug offense.

Williams had a breakout rookie season in 2015 for the Buffalo Bills at running back, complementing LeSean McCoy. 

Bills officials say they're disappointed in Williams and will work to help him "in making better decisions moving forward."

Tom Brady has announced he will stop pursuing legal action against his four-game suspension by the NFL.

Brady will miss the first four weeks and return for Week 5 against the Cleveland Browns.

Brady was suspended for allegedly doctoring footballs in the AFC Championship Game in 2015.

"I'm very grateful for the overwhelming support I've received from Mr. Kraft, the Kraft family, coach Belichick, my coaches and teammates, the NFLPA, my agents, my loving family and most of all, our fans," wrote Brady on Facebook. "It has been a challenging 18 months and I have made the difficult decision to no longer proceed with the legal process. I'm going to work hard to be the best player I can be for the New England Patriots and I look forward to having the opportunity to return to the field this fall."

The NFLPA will continue to appeal Brady's suspension and reserves the right to petition the Supreme Court.

If Brady had served his suspension last season, it would have cost him $2.12 million. Under his new deal, Brady will only lose $235,294.

LeSean McCoy won't face NFL discipline from his incident in a Philadelphia club in February.

The league will not punish McCoy, an NFL spokesman told NFL Media's Mike Garafolo on Wednesday. McCoy and three others stood accused of allegedly assaulting a pair of off-duty police officers but was never formally charged.

The Buffalo Bills are hoping McCoy returns to form in his second season with the franchise.