Pittsburgh Steelers: Weslye Saunders Reportedly Tests Positive for PEDs

The Pittsburgh Steelers are already having to make different plans for their 2012 season, as, according to Aaron Wilson of Ravens Insider and Scott Brown of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, tight end Weslye Saunders will be suspended for the first four games of the season. 

Saunders played in 16 games for the Steelers last year, but had a limited role. He caught only four passes for 29 yards and a touchdown.

What it Means

This is not a good thing for Saunders. Teams will tolerate this kind of thing if it comes from a key contributor. But when you catch only four passes on the regular season, it means that you are highly replaceable. 

It would not be at all surprising to see the Steelers release Saunders after this, but at the very least, it shows that they can't depend on him to stay on the field.

If he had more of a track record, this wouldn't be as big of a deal. But an unproven rookie facing a four-game suspension means that if he even stays on the team, his role is likely going to be a diminished one. 

What's Next?

At this point, anything is pure speculation. Standard process would be for him to appeal, and we'll see what happens from there. But even if he appeals, suspensions are not usually overturned. 

But as Josh Katzowitz of CBS Sports pointed out, this is not the first time he's had trouble. 

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At this point, it’s unclear why Saunders has been suspended, but he’s had character concerns going back to his days at the University of South Carolina. During his senior year, he was suspended before the season began and then was kicked off the squad completely in mid-September 2010. 

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It is going to take an awful lot for him to rebound from this. The Steelers will have to make a decision on whether or not Saunders is worth keeping. One way or the other, he will have to prove that this is an isolated incident and not something to worry about long term.

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