Report: Lane Johnson suspended pending appeal

Lane Johnson will finally be issued his long awaited 10 game suspension, reports Jeff McLane of the Inquirer:

Eagles tackle Lane Johnson was suspended by the NFL pending an appeal, league sources said.

The appeal hearing is scheduled for Oct. 4 and shortly thereafter a neutral arbitrator will render a decision. Johnson will play on Sunday against the Steelers. The Eagles have a bye the following week.

If the arbitrator upholds the suspension, Johnson will be suspended for the next ten games, starting with the Lions game on Oct. 9. He would be eligible to return to the team on Dec. 12 and play in the final three games of the regular season.

A NFL spokesman said the league office had no comment.

Johnson is facing a 10 game suspension because this would be his second failed test. He was previously suspended for the first four games of the 2014 season for taking a banned substance.

Johnson failed a drug test in the offseason and claims that he only took a product that was approved by the NFLPA’s list of cleared products. This prompted the NFLPA to publicly rebuke one its constituents and clarify that despite having an application with a list of cleared products that the NFLPA does not actually approve them.

As McLane notes, because Johnson’s appeal is after Sunday’s Steelers game, Johnson will be eligible to play. The Eagles are then on a bye. Allen Barbre is expected to fill in for Johnson at right tackle if the suspension holds up, with either Stefen Wisniewski or Isaac Semualo replacing Barbre at left guard.