Browns Davion Davis suspended for first two games of the season

Wide receiver suspended for violating NFL’s policy on substance abuse from an incident in 2019 when he was with the Minnesota Vikings.

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Davion Davis was suspended on Tuesday for the first two games of the 2021 regular season for a violation of the NFL’s policy on substance abuse.

The suspension is a result of Davis being arrested in October of 2019 for suspicion of driving under the influence while playing for the Minnesota Vikings. He eventually pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of careless driving, and had two counts of misdemeanor drunken driving dismissed as part of a settlement, according to Nate Ulrich of The Beacon Journal.

The 5-foot-11 and 190-pound Davis originally signed with the Minnesota Vikings in 2019 as an undrafted free agent out of Sam Houston State University. He struggled to make an impact with the Vikings, appearing in just two games without making a reception. Davis finished the season on Minnesota’s practice squad.

The Vikings signed Davis to a Reserve/Future contract in January of 2020, but ultimately released him during training camp last August.

Since the incident happened in 2019, the Browns were very likely aware that a suspension was a possibility when they signed Davis at the end of July. Given that the Browns are deep at wide receiver, the chances of Davis making the initial 53-man roster were already slim, so today’s news might not change all that much.

On the other hand, Davis has seven receptions for 101 yards and a touchdown in the team’s first two preseason games. He can add to those numbers this Sunday in the preseason finale against the Atlanta Falcons, which could give general manager Andrew Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski something to think about in case a wide receiver goes down with an injury early in the season.

Cleveland can opt to put Davis on the reserve/suspended list when they cut the roster down to 53 players on August 31 then see where things stand when his suspension concludes on September 20.