Da'Quan Bowers Suspended: Latest Details, Reaction and Analysis

Updates from Monday, Nov. 3 

Da'Quan Bowers is officially back with the Buccaneers according to Howard Balzer:

Original Text 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive lineman Da'Quan Bowers has been suspended two games for a violation of the NFL's performance-enhancing drugs policy, the league announced in a statement released Tuesday.

Gil Arcia of The Bay Cave provided word from an NFL spokesperson:

As per league policy, the NFL did not announce what triggered Bowers' positive test. NFL Network's Albert Breer noted that two-game suspensions are most typically associated with masking agents, drugs players take after a PED cycle so their test comes back negative.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport elaborates on the reasoning behind the length of the suspension:

Bowers, 24, has six tackles and one sack on the season. He primarily backs up All-Pro defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, though Bowers has played multiple defensive line positions in his career. The former Clemson star, drafted by Tampa Bay in the second round in 2011, is in the final year of his rookie contract.

Considered by most a disappointment—Bowers has only 6.5 career sacks—it'll be interesting to see how this suspension influences his status in Tampa. In August, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times wrote that Bowers' days in Tampa could be numbered after head coach Lovie Smith chose not to say whether he'd be a Buccaneer this season when discussing his offseason injuries. 

Bowers will miss a home game against the Minnesota Vikings and a road tilt with the Cleveland Browns. If activated after the Cleveland game, he'd be eligible to return to the lineup for a matchup with the Atlanta Falcons on Nov. 9. 

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